A judge in New Mexico has thrown out a case against actor Timothy Busfield from “West Wing” and “Field of Dreams,” where he was accused of criminal sexual contact with a child. The judge cited errors in the grand jury process and prosecutorial misconduct as reasons for dismissing the indictment. Judge Joseph Montano granted a defense motion to dismiss the charges, which was released on Friday.
Busfield has consistently denied the accusations, labeling them as falsehoods driven by a desire for revenge. It remains uncertain whether prosecutors will pursue a new indictment in the case.
The allegations against Busfield stem from his time directing the TV series “The Cleaning Lady” between 2022 and 2024. The parents of twin boys who were previously part of the show alleged that Busfield inappropriately touched the children while on set in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
A criminal complaint filed in January detailed claims by one of the boys who reported that Busfield touched him inappropriately on separate occasions when he was seven and eight years old. The boy’s twin brother also mentioned being touched by Busfield but did not provide specific details out of fear of getting into trouble.
After turning himself in, Busfield was released pending trial by a judge who found no prior criminal behavior involving children in Busfield’s history. Despite this, a grand jury indictment was later issued, reiterating the allegations that Busfield engaged in inappropriate touching with one of the boys multiple times, allowing the case to move forward without a preliminary hearing.
Busfield’s legal team highlighted that initial police interviews with the children did not support the accusations and accused the boys’ parents of influencing their statements after the boys lost their roles on the show.
In a June motion, Busfield’s attorneys argued that prosecutors disregarded the lack of evidence and obstructed witness testimonies during the grand jury proceedings. The defense presented audio recordings of grand jurors requesting additional witnesses, alleging that prosecutors misled the jurors about the need for subpoenas to bring in these witnesses.
During a September hearing, Busfield’s attorney, Amanda Fayerberg, criticized the prosecution for misconduct, while the Bernalillo County District Attorney defended the process, stating that Busfield had attempted to influence the grand jury with favorable testimonies and exhibits during his testimony.
Transcripts submitted by Busfield’s legal team revealed the actor’s emotional testimony about the impact of the case on his life and family. He vehemently denied the allegations against him, expressing that the accusations had led to job loss and affected his career. Busfield maintained his innocence, stating that the claims of inappropriate behavior with the children were entirely false.
Prosecutors had warned that each count in the indictment carried a potential sentence of up to six years in prison, with the possibility of further enhancements.