Star’s Wife Sobs in Court as Judge Hands Down Order

The West Wing actor Timothy Busfield faced court on Tuesday, where a judge ordered that the 68-year-old be released on his own recognizance until his trial for charges of child abuse and criminal sexual contact with a minor under the age of 13. His wife, Melissa Gilbert, who previously submitted a letter to the court in support of her husband, could be seen sobbing and mouthing, “Thank you, God,” as Judge David Murphy announced that Busfield would be allowed to leave jail and return home until the trial. He will be supervised by a pretrial service in Albuquerque. Busfield has been charged with offences relating to incidents that took place on the set of Fox’s The Cleaning Lady, where he was working as a director. Busfield has maintained his innocence. In her letter, Gilbert, 61, said that her husband’s arrest was “truly breaking my heart.” She continued, “I only want this extraordinary man safe and whole. So, I will close by asking you to please, please, take care of my sweet husband. As he is my protector, I am his, but I cannot protect him now.”























