New Mexico Judge Dismisses Indictment Against Actor Timothy Busfield

A New Mexico judge has thrown out a grand-jury indictment charging actor and director Timothy Busfield with four counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor. Judge Joseph Montano ruled that the prosecutor handling the case failed to act impartially, effectively withholding witnesses that grand jurors had repeatedly requested, which compromised the grand jury process.

Busfield, known for his role on "The West Wing," had been indicted in February after initially turning himself in earlier this year following an arrest warrant. The original complaint alleged two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse; the grand jury indictment expanded the charges to four counts.

The allegations stem from an alleged incident on the set of the television series "The Cleaning Lady," where a child actor was said to have been inappropriately touched. The complaint states that the child's parents reported the abuse began in 2022 when the child was seven, and that a physician at the University of New Mexico Hospital notified police after examining the child in November 2024.

Warner Bros., the production company for the series, conducted its own investigation but reported finding no supporting evidence.

"The prosecutor's actions had the practical effect of unilaterally withholding witnesses requested by the grand jurors," Montano wrote in his order.

The judge noted that the state remains free to initiate new criminal proceedings. Nancy Laflin, communications director for the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office, said the office is evaluating options for how to proceed.

Busfield has denied all allegations. His attorneys, Amber Fayerberg and Chris Dodd, praised the decision, stating that the judge identified a violation of grand-jury statutes.

The case remains under review by prosecutors, and no further legal action has been announced at this time.