A New Mexico judge dismissed Timothy Busfield’s indictment on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor on Friday, October 16, and the ruling came with serious fireworks. Judge Joseph Montaño cited prosecutorial misconduct and grand jury errors, finding that the proceedings themselves were compromised. Busfield had been indicted in February over alleged incidents on The Cleaning Lady set between 2022 and 2024.
The same day the ruling broke, Melissa Gilbert shared a single line on Instagram:“So shines a good deed in a weary world,”along with the New York Times’coverage of the dismissal. Gilbert has stood firmly by her husband throughout, telling George Stephanopoulos in April she was“100 percent confident he will be exonerated”and calling him“the last person in the world who would hurt a child.”
This story may not be finished, though. The Bernalillo County DA’s office says it’s evaluating its options and could refile charges, which means the legal saga could restart at any moment. Do you think the case gets refiled, or is this the end of the road? Sound off in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.