A judge in New Mexico has thrown out a legal accusation against actor Timothy Busfield from the TV shows “West Wing” and “Field of Dreams,” where he was charged with criminal sexual contact involving a child. The dismissal was based on errors and misconduct by the prosecutors that undermined the grand jury process. State District Judge Joseph Montano agreed with the defense’s request to dismiss the charges, which was announced on Friday.
Busfield has consistently denied the allegations, labeling them as false accusations driven by a desire for revenge. It remains uncertain whether prosecutors will pursue a new indictment.
The case originated during Busfield’s direction of the TV series “The Cleaning Lady” between 2022 and 2024. Parents of twin boys who were part of the show claimed that Busfield had inappropriately touched the children while on set in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The criminal complaint, filed in January, detailed incidents where Busfield allegedly touched one of the boys inappropriately on two separate 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 specific details out of fear of repercussions. Following his arrest, Busfield was released pending trial after a judge did not find a history of similar allegations or criminal behavior involving children in his past.
Despite initial police interviews where the children denied inappropriate touching by Busfield, the case proceeded to a grand jury indictment, circumventing a preliminary hearing. Busfield’s legal team argued that the parents coached the children to provide false statements after they lost their roles on the show.
In a motion to dismiss the indictment, Busfield’s lawyers accused prosecutors of disregarding the lack of evidence and obstructing witness testimonies during the grand jury proceedings. The defense presented audio recordings of grand jurors requesting to hear additional witnesses, indicating that prosecutors misled the jury about the necessity of subpoenas for witness testimony.
During the legal proceedings, Busfield expressed the impact of the case on his life and family, stating that he had suffered professional consequences. He vehemently denied the allegations of inappropriate behavior towards the children and faced potential prison sentences for each count in the indictment.
Photo: Busfield pictured at a hearing at the Bernalillo County Courthouse in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in January.