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⠀ The judge threw out the case. But that doesn't mean it's over. ⠀.
Actor Timothy Basfield has won a significant legal victory in New Mexico.
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On October 16, a judge dismissed a grand jury indictment accusing the West Wing actor of criminal sexual intercourse involving two child actors on the set of The Cleaning Lady.
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The verdict was not based on a jury finding that the allegations were false.
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Instead, Judge Joseph Montano concluded that prosecutors had mishandled the grand jury proceedings.
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According to the ruling, the jurors repeatedly asked for additional witnesses, but the prosecutors gave them an incorrect or partial instruction that effectively prevented those witnesses from testifying.
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Basfield has consistently denied the allegations.
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His lawyers claim that the investigation and the indictment were fundamentally flawed.
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Prosecutors have not ruled out filing a new indictment.
⠀ This distinction is crucial: the original charges were dismissed because of flaws in the legal process, which did not follow a trial on the evidence.
⠀ Watch: Law & Crime examines the verdict and its consequences. ⠀.