Timothy Busfield will learn his fate in the pending child sexual abuse case against him following his January arrest and release, as the trial date has officially been announced.
The actor and his legal team will have ample time to prepare, as the date is more than a year away, according to new reports.
Timothy Busfield’s Trial Date Confirmed In Child Sexual Abuse Case
According to PEOPLE, on Wednesday, March 11, via his criminal defense attorney Amber Fayerberg, it was confirmed that Timothy Busfield will formally stand trial beginning in May 2027.
The court proceedings are reportedly set to last for three weeks and will be held in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, courtroom of Judge Joseph Montano.
Busfield has been out of jail since January pending trial, and is currently back home with his wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, who has publicly defended him since the allegations were revealed.
The ‘Thirtysomething’ Star Was Previously Indicted On Multiple Felony Counts
Busfield was indicted by the Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, which are all classified as third-degree felonies.
“As with all criminal proceedings, Mr. Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law,” Bregman said via statement following the indictment announcement. “This case will proceed through the judicial process and is expected to move forward to trial.”
“The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office remains committed to doing everything possible to protect children and ensure justice for victims across New Mexico,” the statement added.
Busfield’s Attorney Shared Intention To ‘Fight’ The Charges Following The Indictment
Speaking exclusively with Deadline on February 6, Timothy Busfield’s attorney, Larry Stein, said that although the “indictment was not unexpected,” he and his client intend to vigorously “fight” the charges against “The West Wing” star.
“As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich,” Stein began. “What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial.”
“The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the State’s evidence — gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure,” he continued. “This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law. Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the State’s case in open court — where evidence matters — not behind closed doors.”
Timothy Busfield Was Accused Of Sexually Assaulting A Former Co-Star In March 2026
According to TMZ, Timothy Busfield is denying recent claims by actress Claudia Christian that while filming the 1991 movie “Strays,” the actor sexually assaulted her inside his trailer as they rehearsed their lines.
Busfield’s attorney, Larry Stein, issued a statement to the news outlet regarding the explosive claims.
“The current case, which has destroyed his reputation and career, is about an allegation regarding prepubescent boys,” Stein said, adding, “There is absolutely no connection between 35-year-old allegations regarding an adult woman and prepubescent boys.”
The Actress Decided To Come Forward About The Decades-Old Incident After Busfield’s Recent Charges
Speaking with The Mirror US, Claudia Christian explained that during the filming of the television movie “Strays,” Timothy Busfield allegedly “grabbed her, threw her against a wall, and started kissing her while they were rehearsing lines in his trailer.”
Additionally, in a police interview obtained by the outlet, Christian went into further detail regarding the alleged assault. “He had an erection, and he shoved his tongue in my mouth, and I pushed him off, and I ran out of the trailer,” she said during the interview.
Christian told the outlet that the current charges against him and the pending trial gave her the courage to come forward 35 years later.
“I was a young woman when he assaulted me and I was able to move forward with little trauma from the incident, but a child does not have the capacity to understand nor process this sort of behavior from an adult and that is why he needs to be stopped, now,” she said.
“That sickens me, that he could destroy a child’s life and not only get away with it, but deny it and then turn the blame on them,” she continued.