A New Mexico state court judge dismissed child sexual abuse charges against actor and director Timothy Busfield on October 16, citing unfair conduct by prosecutors during the grand jury proceedings. Judge Joseph Montano ruled that the prosecution did not act in a fair and impartial manner, which led to the dismissal of the charges. However, the judge noted that the prosecution retains the option to file new charges.
Busfield, 69, faced allegations involving inappropriate touching of twin brothers on the set of the Fox television drama The Cleaning Lady, which he directed and produced from 2022 to 2025. The twins reported that the alleged incidents occurred over a two-year period when they were seven and eight years old during breaks in production. The accusations came to light in a criminal complaint filed in January, and in February, Busfield was indicted on four counts related to groping one of the boys.
Busfield has consistently denied the allegations, describing them as false. His legal team sought to have the charges dismissed, arguing procedural issues during the grand jury process.
Judge Montano’s ruling emphasized that the prosecution failed to properly instruct the grand jury members on the correct procedures for requesting additional witness testimony. The judge pointed out that prosecutors incorrectly told jurors that a minimum of eight members needed to agree to call a witness, resulting in witnesses whom some grand jurors wanted to hear from being withheld. Montano wrote that this misconduct effectively denied the jurors’ ability to fully consider witness testimony, violating the fairness of the proceedings.
A spokesperson for the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office in New Mexico said the office is reviewing its options following the dismissal.
Busfield is best known for his roles on television series such as The West Wing (1999–2006), where he portrayed a White House reporter, and Thirtysomething (1987–1991), playing an advertising executive. He also appeared in the 1989 film Field of Dreams alongside Kevin Costner.