A judge in New Mexico has thrown out an indictment against actor Timothy Busfield, known for his roles in “West Wing” and “Field of Dreams,” which accused him of criminal sexual contact with a child. The judge, Joseph Montano, cited prosecutorial misconduct and errors that undermined the grand jury process as reasons for dismissing the charges. The decision was released on Friday following a defense motion.
Busfield has consistently denied the allegations, labeling them as falsehoods driven by a desire for revenge. It remains unclear whether prosecutors will pursue a new indictment in the case.
The allegations stem from Busfield’s time directing the TV series “The Cleaning Lady” between 2022 and 2024. The parents of twin boys who were part of the show alleged that Busfield inappropriately touched the children while on set in Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to a criminal complaint filed in January, one of the boys reported that Busfield touched him inappropriately on two occasions when he was seven and eight years old.
The boy’s twin brother also claimed to have been touched by Busfield but did not provide details out of fear of getting into trouble. Busfield turned himself in and was released pending trial, with the judge finding no prior criminal behavior involving children in his history.
Despite the grand jury indictment, which detailed multiple instances of alleged inappropriate touching, Busfield’s attorneys pointed out inconsistencies in the children’s initial statements to the police. They accused the parents of coaching the children to give false testimony after the boys lost their roles on the show.
In a bid to dismiss the indictment, Busfield’s attorneys argued that prosecutors ignored the lack of evidence and hindered witness testimony during the grand jury proceedings. They presented audio recordings of jurors requesting additional witnesses and claimed that prosecutors misled jurors about the need for subpoenas.
During his testimony, Busfield expressed how the allegations had negatively impacted his life and career, leading to job loss and agency termination. He vehemently denied the accusations of inappropriate touching, emphasizing his innocence. Prosecutors had previously highlighted the potential penalties associated with each count in the indictment, which could result in up to six years in prison per charge.