By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
NILES, MI – A Berrien County Trial Court jury convicted Buchanan resident Taylor Ryan Johnson, 37, of driving while intoxicated causing death Monday after a three-day trial at the Niles Courthouse. The six-man-six-woman jury began deliberations Friday afternoon and returned their verdict Monday morning after four hours of deliberation.
Isom’s fiancée and brother spoke to the media after the sentencing. Isom was 57 at the time of his death.
His fiancée, Shelly Jasper, said she was glad the case was finally over and that Johnson was convicted of driving drunk and causing Isom’s death. She had faithfully attended all of the court hearings over the years to follow the progress of the case. She retired last year as the county’s human resources director.
“We’re happy to finally have justice for Mack,” his brother, Frank, said. “It’s been torture for us for three and a half years; it’s been brutal for my father.”
The incident occurred July 20, 2022 on Red Bud Trail in Oronoko Township and resulted in Isom’s death. Isom was cutting brush in the roadway when he was hit. Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Jurors heard from over a dozen prosecution witnesses and two defense witnesses during the course of the trial. Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced March 23 at 8:30 a.m. by Berrien County Trial Court Judge Gordon Hosbein. Judge Hosbein revoked Johnson’s bond Monday and remanded him to jail to await his sentencing.
Police reported at the time Johnson had been driving at speeds up to 75 miles per hour before the incident. Blood alcohol tests administered hours after the accident showed Johnson with a blood alcohol level of over .13 which is above the legal limit of .08.
The trial has been delayed a number of times since the 2022 incident with Johnson’s attorneys appealing trial court decisions to the Michigan Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court. The most recent set back at the COA came last June when Johnson’s appeal regarding the suppression of evidence was denied.
Defense attorney Jessica LaFond called two witnesses Friday after the prosecution rested late Thursday. Assistant Prosecutor Jerry Vigansky called several people including police officers, accident reconstruction experts, and eyewitnesses who saw what happened that day.
Friday’s testimony came primarily from accident reconstruction expert witness Daniel Billington, followed by brief testimony from a person who lives on Red Bud Trail near the crash site.
Billington testified that Johnson’s reaction times were similar to how anyone would react in such a situation regardless of whether they were intoxicated. He also disputed the accounts of two people who witnessed the crash and where Isom was standing, saying that eyewitness accounts aren’t necessarily accurate.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jerry Vigansky noted that the two eyewitnesses had reported the same information independently. He also noted that Billington had been paid $12,000 for his testimony.
In closing arguments, Vigansky asked jurors to use common sense as they considered the evidence presented during the trial. He reminded jurors that Johnson voluntarily had decided to drive after having consumed alcohol earlier in the day.
“He claimed he was going 50 to 55 miles per hours when he was actually driving more than 70 miles per hour,” Vigansky said. “He said he didn’t see the tree in the road on a bright sunny day. He also told the officer at least 10 times that he hadn’t drunk alcohol. That all indicates a consciousness of guilt.”
For her part, LaFond said questions remained unanswered at the close of the trial and that they should give her client the benefit of the doubt. “The question remains as to whether his drinking or the speed he was driving were factors in Mr. Isom’s death and when did he realize there was an obstruction in the road,” she said.
In his rebuttal, Vigansky asked whose fault was it that Johnson was speeding and that Isom was hit so hard that his body was thrown over 100 feet. “He says he didn’t see the obstruction in the road so he’s not at fault,” Vigansky said. “It was the defendant who killed Mack, and it was the defendant who was responsible.”