Timothy Busfield's Child Sexual Abuse Charges Dismissed After Judge Finds Prosecutorial Misconduct

 

Child Sexual Abuse Charges Against Actor Timothy Busfield Dismissed After Judge Finds Prosecutorial Misconduct

On October 16, 2026, a New Mexico judge dismissed all child sexual abuse charges against Timothy Busfield, 69, the Emmy Award-winning actor known for Thirtysomething and The West Wing.

The dismissal followed findings of serious prosecutorial misconduct.

Busfield had been indicted in February 2025 on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor. The allegations involved two child actors working on the Albuquerque set of the television series The Cleaning Lady.

Busfield denied the allegations from the beginning.

According to the reported ruling, Judge Joseph Montaño found that prosecutors had failed to act fairly and impartially during the grand jury proceedings.

The judge cited allegations that prosecutors withheld requested defense witnesses and misled jurors about subpoena and voting procedures.

Those failures were serious enough for the court to dismiss the charges.

Busfield has consistently maintained his innocence and reportedly passed a polygraph examination, although polygraph results do not independently establish innocence.

His wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, has publicly supported him throughout the proceedings.

The dismissal does not amount to a jury finding that the alleged conduct did not occur. It means the prosecution failed to meet the legal standards required to proceed with the case.

According to the supplied report, prosecutors may still seek a new indictment through a properly conducted grand jury proceeding.

No new indictment is established in the available information.

Allegations involving children deserve serious investigation. So does the obligation to protect an accused person's rights.

Accountability means holding people responsible when the evidence supports it. It also means holding prosecutors accountable when they fail to follow the fucking rules.