Child Sex Abuse Charges Against Actor Timothy Busfield Dismissed by New Mexico Judge

A New Mexico state court judge has dismissed child sex abuse charges against actor and director Timothy Busfield, ruling that the prosecution failed to act in a fair and impartial manner during grand jury proceedings. Judge Joseph Montano delivered the ruling, though prosecutors retain the option to pursue new charges against the actor in the future.

According to the Guardian, the case involved accusations that Busfield had improperly touched two young twin boys on the Albuquerque set of the Fox television drama The Cleaning Lady. The criminal complaint, filed in January, stated that the alleged incidents took place over a two-year period during production breaks when the twins were aged seven and eight. Busfield, who served as a director and producer for the series, was subsequently indicted in February on a four-count grand jury indictment accusing him of groping one of the boys.

Grand Jury Proceedings and Judge’s Ruling

Throughout the legal process, the 69-year-old actor steadfastly maintained his innocence, labeling the accusations as lies while his defense attorneys pushed for a complete dismissal of the case. In his ruling, Judge Montano pointed to specific missteps by the prosecution regarding grand jury instructions.

The judge noted that the prosecutor incorrectly informed grand jurors that at least eight members of the panel needed to agree in order to request testimony from additional witnesses. This incorrect instruction effectively prevented the grand jury from hearing from witnesses they had asked to call.

“The prosecuting attorney failed to act in a fair and impartial manner,” Judge Montano wrote in his decision, adding that the conduct of the lawyer “had the practical effect of unilaterally withholding witnesses requested by the grand jurors.”

Career Background of Timothy Busfield

Timothy Busfield is widely recognized for his prominent television and film career spanning decades. He earned notable acclaim for his television roles, including portraying a White House reporter on the NBC political drama The West Wing and an advertising executive on the ABC ensemble series Thirtysomething. In addition to his television work, Busfield appeared alongside Kevin Costner in the classic 1989 baseball film Field of Dreams.

Following the dismissal of the indictment, a spokesperson for the second judicial district attorney’s office in New Mexico stated that the office is currently evaluating its legal options moving forward.

Source: Child sex abuse charges against actor Timothy Busfield dismissed by judge (source-feed timestamp 2026-10-17T03:06:54+00:00). AI-assisted report based on the cited linked article and its RSS feed; details were not independently verified.