In brief
Timothy Busfield, known for *The West Wing* and *Field of Dreams*, faced four criminal sexual contact charges tied to his work on *The Cleaning Lady*. Judge Joseph Montano dismissed the indictment, citing flaws in the grand jury process and prosecutorial conduct. The decision leaves the Bernalillo County District Attorney reviewing next steps while Busfield's legal team maintains his innocence. The case highlights the challenges of child‑abuse proceedings involving entertainment industry figures.
A judge in the US state of New Mexico has thrown out child sexual contact charges against Emmy‑winning actor Timothy Busfield, citing prosecutorial misconduct.
Busfield was originally indicted in February on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child after allegations surfaced from actors on his Fox series *The Cleaning Lady*.
The indictment, which accused him of inappropriate contact with an unnamed boy under 13, was dismissed on Friday by State District Judge Joseph Montano, who said the grand jury process was compromised.
The judge’s ruling leaves the District Attorney’s office reviewing options, while Busfield maintains his innocence and has already been released pending trial.
Sources say the boy flock referred to him as “Uncle Tim” and claimed grooming and touching, but the defense has filed over 70 character‑reference letters and a positive polygraph test.
