Timothy Busfield has filed a motion to quash the grand jury indictment in his child sexual abuse case, arguing prosecutors mishandled the process and pursued an indictment despite what his defense calls a lack of evidence. Busfield, who surrendered on Jan. 13
Timothy Busfield walked into court on his own terms, but the fight over his child sexual abuse case has moved to a new battleground: the grand jury indictment.
The “West Wing” actor, who surrendered to authorities on Jan. 13, filed a motion this week asking the court to quash the grand jury indictment. His defense argues that the State’s actions turned the process into something less than a fair path to justice.
“The motion, filed by the actor’s defense team, reads: “Consistent with its conduct during its investigation, Mr. Busfield’s arrest and through the detention hearing process. the State has abdicated its role of administering justice and instead pursued an Indictment against Mr. Busfield at the cost of the evidence, Mr. Busfield’s rights and the independence and integrity of the grand jury.”.
The filing adds that the grand jury prosecutor’s conduct amounted to structural error. “The grand jury prosecutor’s actions — repeatedly misstating the law to the grand jury and forsaking his obligation to facilitate the proceedings in a fair and impartial manner — constitute structural error requiring dismissal.”.
Busfield has pleaded not guilty to the four felony counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor. He entered that plea in February, and he has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
The charges relate to allegations tied to October 2022 and September 2023, when Busfield was directing two child actors on the set of “The Cleaning Lady.” His defense says the State has failed to confront what it views as the lack of evidence.
“Since its investigation. the State — both by way of the Albuquerque Police Department and the Office of the Second Judicial District Attorney — has remained willfully blind to the lack of evidence underpinning its case and stubbornly unmoved by the overwhelming evidence of Mr. Busfield’s innocence,” the filing continues. “The evidence demonstrates that the allegations are patently false, implausible and the result of an expressed vendetta against him.”.
Before the surrender, the case escalated through a warrant. A warrant for Busfield’s arrest was issued on Jan. 9 after allegations that he had inappropriate sexual contact with two 11-year-old boys while he served on “The Cleaning Lady” as director and executive producer. Busfield surrendered to authorities on Jan. 13.
At the time, he said, “I’m going to confront these lies. They’re horrible. They’re all lies. And I did not do anything to those little boys, and I’m going to fight it. I’m going to fight it with a great team, and I’m going to be exonerated.”
For now, Busfield’s trial remains scheduled to start in May 2027.
The motion to quash asks a court to step in before that timetable—by challenging what led to the indictment in the first place, and whether prosecutors preserved the fairness his defense says the grand jury process required.
Timothy Busfield West Wing Thirtysomething child sexual abuse trial grand jury indictment motion to quash Albuquerque Police Department Office of the Second Judicial District Attorney The Cleaning Lady criminal sexual contact with a minor