Timothy Busfield In ‘Better Mood’ After Jail Release, Lawyer Says

Timothy Busfield is in better spirits following a judge’s recent ruling that granted him release from jail on child sex abuse charges. The update comes after the actor-director was arrested earlier this month for the alleged inappropriate sexual conduct with two minor child actors.

Following his release from a New Mexico jail on Tuesday, January 20, Busfield’s lawyer provided an update on his client’s mindset as he awaits an impending trial.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Larry Stein, Busfield’s lawyer, told the outlet how the “Thirtysomething” star is doing after he was officially granted release from jail.

Noting that Busfield and wife Melissa Gilbert are currently “still in shock that it happened to them and they’re still distressed,” he shared that the couple is “in a better mood than they were yesterday before he was released.” Stein spoke of next steps, adding, “We’re taking one day at a time.”

Stein also told the outlet that the support that Busfield has received since his arrest has helped lead to information in the case.

“We couldn’t have done it without people volunteering to give us information. I got totally unsolicited emails and calls and letters from people. We did our work to try to get it together, but the outpouring of support and the number of people who are willing to put themselves on the line for him is really remarkable, because it’s a very brave thing to do,” he said.

Stein admitted that the serious nature of the case led many to withhold support, but he was thankful for those who did not.

“Just being associated with it and supporting him can cause a certain number of people to think negatively about you, unfortunately,” the lawyer stated. “They really put their reputations and livelihood on the line, and it just shows how much they believe in Tim and the support that he’s getting.”

Judge David A. Murray rendered his decision to grant the “The West Wing” star’s release from jail on Tuesday, January 20, according to Deadline.

Before he was taken away in preparation for his release, Judge Murray informed Busfield and his attorney of the conditions he must follow after leaving custody.

Busfield is required to attend all upcoming court hearings in the case; however, the judge decided against restricting the actor’s travel in and out of New Mexico.

Additionally, the judge said he is prohibited from having any “unsupervised contact with any minor children in this case,” adding that Busfield is also “not to have any contact with the alleged victims or their families, and you’re also not to discuss the case with any witnesses.”

The “Little House on the Prairie” star, Melissa Gilbert, who was seen crying in the courtroom as the judge rendered his decision, clasped her hands together and said, “Thank you, God.”

Prior to his release, Gilbert, along with three of Busfield’s “Thirtysomething” co-stars, wrote letters to the judge regarding his character.

“I know Tim better and more intimately than anything in his life ever has,” Gilbert said to the judge. She also noted that Busfield “has the strongest moral compass of any human I have ever known…He starts every day with kindness and compassion.”

The actress closed her letter by pleading with the judge to protect her husband.

“Please, please, take care of my sweet husband. As he is my protector, I am his, but I cannot protect him now, and I think that, more than anything else, is what is truly breaking my heart. I am relying on you to protect him for me,” Gilbert’s letter read.

On Tuesday, January 20, TMZ obtained audio of the two male minor victims in the case during their interview with local police in November 2024.

During the questioning, the children were asked if they were ever touched inappropriately by Timothy Busfield.

The police asked a series of questions about the alleged encounter, including: “So, you know what is right and wrong, right? You know no one can touch your private areas?”

Replying to the questions, one of the boys said, “Yeah, but he doesn’t touch those parts.” The other minor replied, “No, he’s never touched me… never.”

A hairstylist who worked on the set of “The Cleaning Lady,” the series where Busfield was working as a director and where he met the two victims, has retracted her previous comments that she saw Busfield behave inappropriately with other minors on set.

Danielle Vigil previously said she saw Busfield kiss two kids on their foreheads while working on the show.

“I am providing this statement to clarify the circumstances surrounding a recorded conversation with a detective and the subsequent characterization of my words,” Vigil clarified, according to Us Weekly.

“My intention was never to speculate, accuse, or harm anyone, but to speak truthfully about my own perceptions as requested,” she continued.

Vigil further expressed that she would have been more careful with her words if she had known she was being recorded and her words would be used in such a way.

She said: “Had I been aware that my words were being recorded or that the detective would use the conversation to fit his narrative, I would have chosen my language more carefully and ensured that my statements were fully contextualized.”