In brief
In a ruling on Friday, state district judge Joseph Montano dismissed the indictment against Timothy Busfield, the actor known for roles on The West Wing and Field of Dreams, over mistakes that undermined the grand‑jury process. The charges, which originally included four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child, were based on allegations from child actors on Busfield’s production, The Cleaning Lady. Busfield’s legal team highlighted support letters and a polygraph test, arguing the accusations were driven by retaliation after the children were fired from the series. The District Attorney’s office is now evaluating how to proceed following the dismissal.
A state district judge in New Mexico has thrown out four criminal sexual contact charges against Emmy‑winning actor Timothy Busfield, citing a failure by prosecutors to act fairly and the flawed conduct of a grand‑jury investigation.
The indictment, filed in February, listed four counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and stemmed from accusations by children who had worked on Busfield’s television production, The Cleaning Lady. Busfield denied every allegation and had already surrendered to authorities in January, when a warrant was issued for his arrest, but a judge later ordered his release pending trial.
In his dismissal, Judge Joseph Montano pointed to mistakes that undermined the integrity of the grand‑jury process, stating that the prosecutor failed to act in a fair and impartial manner.
Busfield’s defense team has submitted more than seventy letters from witnesses attesting to his character and highlighted a polygraph test he passed that addressed the allegations. The team argues that the accusations were a form of retaliation after the children were let go from the show.
The Office of the Second Judicial District Attorney in Bernalillo County has said it is evaluating its options for how to proceed following the court’s order. Busfield remains under the scrutiny of the legal system, while the matter draws renewed attention to safeguarding children in entertainment production environments.
