Entertainment
Judge dismisses Timothy Busfield indictment; new charges remain possible
The New Mexico ruling concerns the grand-jury process. Prosecutors say they are evaluating their options.
By NewsCubby Editorial Desk · Published
A New Mexico judge dismissed actor and director Timothy Busfield’s indictment on October 16, finding that prosecutors had mishandled grand-jury proceedings. The decision concerns an indictment alleging criminal sexual contact with a minor; Busfield has denied the allegations.
Reuters and the Albuquerque Journal report that Judge Joseph Montano found problems with the way prosecutors handled grand jurors’ requests to hear additional witnesses. The ruling allows the state to bring new proceedings. Prosecutors said Friday that they were evaluating their options.
The dismissal therefore does not amount to a trial verdict, and a new prosecution has not been announced in the reporting checked for this draft. The allegations concerned work on the Albuquerque set of The Cleaning Lady.
Busfield is known for The West Wing, Thirtysomething and Field of Dreams. The next question is whether prosecutors seek a new indictment.
Photo: Allan Lundell / CC BY 3.0. Timothy Busfield in a 2016 video frame by Allan Lundell. Archival image, not a court appearance. Photo resized and placed in an original NewsCubby layout.