A judge in New Mexico has thrown out a case against Timothy Busfield, known for his roles in “West Wing” and “Field of Dreams,” which accused him of criminal sexual contact with a child. The judge cited prosecutorial errors that compromised the grand jury process, leading to the dismissal of the indictment. Busfield, who has consistently denied the allegations, claimed they were fabricated out of spite.
The accusations arose while Busfield was directing the TV series “The Cleaning Lady” between 2022 and 2024. Parents of twin boys who had roles in the show alleged that Busfield inappropriately touched their children on the set in Albuquerque, NM. According to a criminal complaint, one of the boys reported instances where Busfield touched him inappropriately when he was seven and eight years old.
Despite initial claims from the children that Busfield did not touch them inappropriately, the case progressed with a grand jury indictment, which alleged multiple instances of inappropriate touching. Busfield’s defense argued that prosecutors mishandled the case, overlooking the lack of evidence and preventing key witnesses from testifying. The defense also accused the parents of coaching the children to provide false statements after losing their roles on the show.
During court proceedings, Busfield expressed the impact of the case on his life and family, denying the allegations vehemently. He emphasized that the accusations were entirely false. Prosecutors had sought significant prison time for the charges brought against Busfield.