Timothy Busfield’s troubling legal saga has come to a halt, as a New Mexico judge has dismissed the child sexual abuse case against the actor. The dismissal follows the determination that Albuquerque prosecutors acted improperly by restricting the grand jury’s access to witness testimonies.
Dismissal of Charges Against Busfield
Busfield, 69, gained national attention earlier this year when he was arrested on allegations of misconduct involving twin child actors from the Fox television series The Cleaning Lady. He vehemently denied the charges, labeling them as “horrible lies.” Despite his denials, a grand jury indicted him on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child in February.
Legal Proceedings and Indictment Challenges
In June, Busfield’s legal team filed a motion to quash the indictment, arguing that the prosecutor compromised the grand jury’s impartiality by failing to present additional witnesses, which the jurors requested on three separate occasions. Ultimately, the grand jury heard testimony solely from the lead detective and Busfield himself.
On Friday, the judge agreed with Busfield, ruling that “the prosecuting attorney failed to act in a fair and impartial manner,” resulting in proceedings that undermined the grand jury’s integrity. However, the judge also noted that prosecutors still have the option to initiate new criminal proceedings against Busfield.
Background of the Allegations
The investigation into Busfield began in November 2024 after concerns arose regarding the child actors potentially being “groomed” by him, given his roles as executive producer and director of The Cleaning Lady. The probe was reignited late last year when one of the children disclosed claims of sexual contact during a therapy session.
Impact of the Allegations on Busfield’s Life
During his grand jury testimony, Busfield spoke candidly about the devastating impact of the allegations on his life and career. “My career’s done,” he stated during a two-hour testimony. “I’m canceled. I’ll never work again just based on people’s fear that I would do this again, and even if it wasn’t true, I’m done. I’ve lost TV shows, a movie they’ve digitally replaced me from. My agency fired me. I’m done. This is not about me or a pity thing.”
Rolling Stone has reached out to Busfield’s representative for comment regarding the case and its dismissal.
