Judge dismisses child sex abuse indictment against actor Timothy Busfield

A New Mexico judge on Oct. 16 granted actor-producer Timothy Busfield’s motion to dismiss the grand jury indictment that accused him of four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child. Judge Joseph Montano said the prosecuting attorney failed to act fairly, including not properly instructing the grand jury on witness procedures, which led to the dismissal.

Busfield, who has denied the allegations, was originally indicted in February over alleged incidents with two minor twin boys while directing the Fox series "The Cleaning Lady."

"The prosecuting attorney failed to act in a fair and impartial manner, including the failure to properly instruct the grand jury on the law for calling witnesses and in instructing the grand jurors on a procedure that effectively withheld requested witnesses," Montano wrote in his ruling.

Busfield’s civil attorney, Larry Stein, said the dismissal affirmed his client’s claim of innocence.

"Tim said from the beginning that he was innocent. That he would fight to prove his innocence. And he did," Stein told USA TODAY.

Melissa Gilbert, Busfield’s wife, posted a Shakespeare quote on Instagram after the ruling: "So shines a good deed in a weary world," and shared a New York Times article about the case update. Gilbert has repeatedly expressed confidence in her husband’s innocence, describing him as an "honorable, caring, generous human being" and stating she is "100% confident he will be exonerated."