On Tuesday, a Sanpete County jury at the 6th District Courthouse in Manti acquitted a 25-year-old man of object rape and forcible sexual abuse. That very same day, his 49-year-old mother, Junstina Faapouli of Colorado Springs, was arrested after authorities accused her of talking with people scheduled to testify and interfering with the trial.
The man had faced charges that included object rape, a first-degree felony, forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony, and a class B lewdness misdemeanor stemming from an alleged 2021 incident. Prosecutors say an arresting officer’s affidavit describes Faapouli being overheard speaking with two individuals expected to testify for the defense and notes that she knew they would be in court that day, according to reporting by KSL.
“Because Mr. Faapouli disclosed details of the victim’s testimony to the two individuals, they were not allowed to testify,” the affidavit states, and the two defense witnesses were ultimately barred from taking the stand. Even without their testimony, jurors returned not-guilty verdicts on the sexual-assault counts. Prosecutors then arrested Faapouli on March 10 on two counts of obstruction of justice. Her next court appearance is scheduled for March 23, as reported by KSL.
What the obstruction charge means
Under Utah law, obstruction of justice is a crime that covers conduct intended to get in the way of an investigation or court proceeding, including efforts to influence or intimidate witnesses. In some situations, it can be filed as a felony. The elements of the offense and possible penalties are laid out in Utah Code § 76-8-306, which defines what constitutes interference with criminal investigations and proceedings. The full text of the statute is available through Justia…