A New Mexico judge has dismissed an indictment against 'West Wing' and 'Field of Dreams' actor Timothy Busfield that accused him of criminal sexual contact with a child, citing prosecutorial misconduct and errors that undermined the grand jury process. State District Judge Joseph Montano granted a defense motion to toss the charges in a decision released October 16, 2026, in Albuquerque.
The case stemmed from Busfield's time directing episodes of the television series 'The Cleaning Lady' between 2022 and 2024. The parents of two twin boys who had been cast on the show and later let go claimed that Busfield inappropriately touched the children on the Albuquerque set. According to a criminal complaint filed in January, an Albuquerque police investigator said one boy reported that Busfield touched him on his private areas over his clothing, once when he was 7 years old and again when he was 8. The boy's twin brother told authorities he was also touched by Busfield, though he did not specify where and said he had stayed silent because he did not want to get in trouble.
Busfield turned himself in to authorities and was released from jail pending trial, after a judge found no pattern of criminal conduct or similar allegations involving children in his past. A grand jury indicted him weeks later, reiterating allegations that Busfield touched or applied force to the intimate parts of one of the boys on several occasions, which allowed the case to proceed without a preliminary hearing on the evidence.
Busfield has repeatedly and strenuously denied the allegations, describing them as lies motivated by revenge. His defense team argued that the prosecution's handling of the grand jury proceedings was fatally flawed, and Judge Montano agreed, finding that prosecutorial misconduct and procedural errors had compromised the indictment itself.
Prosecutors said they were reviewing the decision and had not yet decided whether to seek another indictment, leaving open the possibility that the case could be refiled. A dismissal based on grand jury defects does not bar prosecutors from presenting the case to a new grand jury.
The ruling is a significant, though potentially temporary, reprieve for the 69-year-old actor and director, whose four-decade career includes roles in 'Thirtysomething,' 'The West Wing,' and 'Field of Dreams.' The case has also drawn attention to the safeguards around child performers on television sets, an issue that continues to shadow the entertainment industry years after a wave of abuse revelations prompted calls for stronger on-set protections.