A judge in New Mexico has thrown out charges against actor Timothy Busfield, known for roles in “West Wing” and “Field of Dreams,” which accused him of criminal sexual contact with a child. The judge cited prosecutorial misconduct and errors that undermined the grand jury process, leading to the dismissal of the indictment. Busfield, who has consistently denied the allegations, called them lies driven by vengeance.
The case originated from Busfield’s time directing the TV series “The Cleaning Lady” between 2022 and 2024. Allegations arose from the parents of twin boys who were removed from the show, claiming Busfield inappropriately touched the children on set in Albuquerque, N.M. A criminal complaint detailed incidents where Busfield allegedly touched one of the boys on his private areas when he was seven and eight years old, over his clothing.
Despite the twin brother also alleging inappropriate touching by Busfield, details were vague, with the boy not specifying the location and refraining from speaking out due to fear of consequences. Busfield voluntarily surrendered and was released pending trial, as no prior history of similar allegations involving children was found. An indictment by the grand jury followed soon after, accusing Busfield of repeated inappropriate touching.
Defense attorneys argued that the prosecution overlooked the lack of evidence and hindered witness testimony presentation to the grand jury intentionally. They highlighted instances where jurors requested additional witness statements, which were not facilitated by the prosecutors effectively. The defense also accused the boys’ parents of coaching their children to provide false statements after losing roles on the show.
During court proceedings, Busfield expressed the impact of the case on his life and family, stating that he had faced career setbacks and agency termination. He vehemently denied the allegations of inappropriate behavior towards the children, asserting that they were entirely false. Prosecutors had emphasized the severity of the charges, each carrying a potential six-year prison sentence with the possibility of enhancement.
