Wife Faces Felony for Not Testifying Against Husband at Sex Assault Trial
A woman who is reported to have hidden from authorities rather than testify against her husband at a sexual assault trial last year has been charged with failing to appear in court.
Virginia Juanita Briard, a 63-year-old grandmother from Frazee, Minn., was scheduled to appear at the December trial of her husband, Robert Briard. Instead, she disappeared for the duration of his trial, and her husband was acquitted, the Detroit Lakes Tribune (reg. req.) reports.
Virginia Briard now faces six felony counts of contempt of court, a charge for each day she reportedly dodged subpoenas.
Police maintain that Virginia Briard made admissions to them about her husband’s conduct, and they wanted her to testify about those statements. The trial court had ruled that her statements were not privileged and compelled her to testify.
The trial judge last week declined to dismiss the charges, the paper reports.
