Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- A Colorado woman faces charges accusing her of interfering with her son's sex abuse trial.
- Junstina Faapouli is accused of trying to influence potential witnesses.
- A jury acquitted her son of object rape and sex abuse charges.
MANTI — A Utah jury recently found a Colorado man not guilty of assaulting a woman following a lengthy court process.
But now, the man's mother is in trouble for allegedly interfering with her son's trial.
That scenario played out earlier this month in Sanpete County's 6th District Court. A 25-year-old man was on trial on charges of object rape, a first-degree felony; forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony; and lewdness, a class B misdemeanor, and was accused of abusing a woman in 2021.
On March 10, Junstina Faapouli, 49, of Colorado Springs, was overheard talking to two people who were scheduled to testify on behalf of the defense that day, according to court documents.
"I spoke with both individuals who stated that Junstina had told them specific details about the victim's testimony and that the victim's testimony was false and inaccurate. I asked both individuals if Mrs. Faapouli knew they were there to testify, and they confirmed that she did," the arresting officer wrote in a police booking affidavit.
In courtrooms across the nation, the exclusionary rule is commonly used. In a typical scenario, those who are expected to testify at a trial are generally not allowed to be in the courtroom while other witnesses are testifying. This is to prevent one person's testimony from potentially being influenced by another witness' testimony.
When prosecutors in Sanpete County found out about the alleged violation involving Faapouli, they called for a violation of the exclusionary rule and Faapouli was removed from the courtroom.
"Because Mr. Faapouli disclosed details of the victim's testimony to the two individuals, they were not allowed to testify in the case," the affidavit states.
Although the defense's two witnesses were not allowed to take the stand, jurors found the defendant not guilty. Faapouli, however, was arrested and charged on March 10 with two counts of obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
Her next court hearing is scheduled for March 23.
