By admin 
A New Mexico judge dismissed a child sexual abuse indictment against Timothy Busfield, the television and stage actor with deep ties to Sacramento, citing prosecutorial misconduct and errors that undermined the grand jury process, the Associated Press reported Friday.
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Busfield’s attorneys had accused prosecutors in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, of pursuing the case despite a lack of evidence and withholding witness testimony from grand jurors, according to the AP.
The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office responded Friday to the dismissal by New Mexico Second Judicial District Judge Joseph Montano in a one-sentence statement to The Sacramento Bee.
“Our office has received the order and is evaluating our options to determine how we will proceed,” said Nancy Laflin, a spokesperson for the DA’s office in Bernalillo County said.
Montano’s ruling Friday came about nine months after Busfield, who co-founded Sacramento’s B Street Theatre, surrendered to police on an arrest warrant involving allegations of abuse against twin boys who appeared on the television series “The Cleaning Lady.” Busfield directed episodes of the show, which was filmed in Albuquerque.
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Busfield faced allegations of two counts of sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse in the warrant. The boys’ mother reported the alleged abuse, saying it occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024.
Busfield surrendered to New Mexico authorities in January following a brief, nationwide manhunt. He said he had not fled authorities but had driven 2,000 miles to Albuquerque to surrender in person.
Busfield, 68, known for his roles in “The West Wing,” “Thirtysomething” and “Field of Dreams,” was later indicted on the charges. He denied the allegations.
During an interview with Albuquerque police, Busfield described the accusations as “horrible lies,” and said the boys’ mother had made them in retaliation after learning her sons would not return for the show’s final season.
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