In a significant legal development out of the U.S. state of New Mexico, a state judge has tossed out all criminal charges against veteran Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield, known for iconic roles in *The West Wing* and *Field of Dreams*, over fundamental flaws in how prosecutors built and presented their case. The ruling on Friday brings a major turn in a high-profile case that first made headlines earlier this year when Busfield was indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor.
The accusations against Busfield, who also has credits as a producer and director on the Fox drama series *The Cleaning Lady*, originated from claims made by two child actors who worked on the show under his supervision. Prosecutors initially alleged that between October 2019 and September 2023, Busfield inappropriately touched the intimate parts of one boy who was under the age of 13 at the time of the alleged offenses. The arrest affidavit further claimed that Busfield, who the children reportedly called “Uncle Tim”, groomed the young actors, engaging in inappropriate tickling of their stomachs and legs that escalated to ongoing sexual abuse spanning years.
The legal process first moved against Busfield in January of this year, when an arrest warrant was issued and he voluntarily surrendered to Albuquerque law enforcement. He was briefly taken into custody on initial charges that included two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse, before a judge granted his release pending trial, which he maintained through the entire proceedings. A grand jury later returned a four-count indictment against him in February.
Busfield has staunchly denied every allegation brought against him from the start. His defense team mounted a robust push to dismiss the indictment, submitting more than 70 character reference letters from people who have worked with and known the actor over decades, and confirming that Busfield completed and passed a polygraph examination directly addressing the abuse claims. Defense attorneys also argued that the entire case was rooted in retaliation: the children were removed from the cast of *The Cleaning Lady*, a decision that enraged their mother, prompting her to manufacture the false accusations.
On Friday, State District Judge Joseph Montano sided with the defense, granting their motion to dismiss the entire indictment. The judge’s ruling centered on critical errors made by prosecutors that irreparably damaged the integrity of the grand jury process, adding that the prosecuting team “failed to act in a fair and impartial manner” throughout the proceedings.
Following the ruling, a spokesperson for the Office of the Second Judicial District Attorney in Bernalillo County confirmed to the BBC that the office has received the judge’s dismissal order and is currently reviewing all available options to determine next steps in the case. The BBC has reached out to Busfield’s legal representation for additional comment on the ruling, and no further statement has been released from the actor’s team as of Friday evening.