A judge in New Mexico dismissed child sexual abuse charges against actor and director Timothy Busfield on Friday, citing prosecutorial misconduct and flaws in the grand jury process. The allegations stemmed from Busfield’s work directing the television series “The Cleaning Lady,” filmed in Albuquerque between 2022 and 2024.
District Judge Joseph Montano ruled that the prosecution had failed to fairly instruct grand jurors on their ability to subpoena additional witnesses, leading to a compromised indictment. According to court documents, jurors repeatedly requested to hear testimony from certain witnesses—most notably Alan Caudillo, the show’s lead director of photography—who was available to testify but was ultimately not called. Caudillo had submitted an affidavit stating the child actors were closely supervised on set and never left alone with adults.
Busfield had been indicted in early 2026 on charges alleging he inappropriately touched the genital and backside areas of one of two twin boys, both child actors on the series who were reportedly ages 7 and 8 at the time of the alleged incidents. Busfield’s defense team denied all accusations, characterizing them as false and motivated by revenge after the children lost their roles on the show in 2024. Defense attorneys also released audio recordings from early police interviews in which both boys stated that Busfield had not touched them inappropriately.
Busfield, who has a long career in television with acting roles in series such as “Thirtysomething,” “The West Wing,” and “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” testified during the grand jury proceedings. He denied the allegations emphatically and referenced a polygraph test conducted around the time of his arrest, which reportedly indicated truthful answers when he denied any improper contact with the boys. He also described the case as having severely disrupted his personal and professional life.
The defense argued prosecutorial missteps included obstructing grand jurors’ requests to hear from additional witnesses, effectively preventing a full and fair evaluation of the evidence. In contrast, the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s office stated that Busfield and his attorneys had not properly followed grand jury procedures, and that Busfield himself had attempted to influence the grand jury by steering testimony toward favorable witnesses during his three-hour testimony.
Busfield’s attorney expressed relief at the dismissal and affirmed readiness to defend him again should prosecutors decide to pursue a new indictment. The district attorney’s office indicated that it is reviewing its options regarding whether to seek another grand jury indictment.
The parents of the twins and their legal representatives have not publicly responded to the allegations or the dismissal. The case remains under evaluation as prosecutors consider possible next steps.