New Mexico Judge Dismisses Child Abuse Case Against Actor Timothy Busfield

A judge in New Mexico, USA, dismissed child sexual abuse charges filed against Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield, citing issues with how prosecutors presented the case file. Busfield, who was charged in February following complaints by child actors he worked with on the Fox series 'The Cleaning Lady', had denied all allegations.

New Mexico State District Judge Joseph Montano granted the defense's request to dismiss the indictment on Friday, stating that the prosecutor did not act fairly and impartially. The judge pointed to errors that undermined the grand jury process. A spokesperson for the Second Judicial District Attorney's Office in Bernalillo County stated that they acknowledge the decision and are evaluating options to determine how to proceed.

Busfield, known for his roles in 'The West Wing' and 'Field of Dreams' and indicted in February on four counts of child sexual abuse, had denied the charges. After an arrest warrant was issued in January, the actor surrendered to authorities and was released pending trial.

The case stemmed from allegations made by child actors who starred in the Fox series 'The Cleaning Lady', which Busfield directed and produced. While investigative documents stated that the children's parents alleged Busfield had abused the children, the defense team argued that the mothers made the allegations out of revenge after the children were written out of the show. Busfield's attorneys also submitted numerous character reference letters and stated that he passed a lie detector test.