Johns, 53, of Irvine was found guilty on all counts after hitting Tift with her Lexus Aug. 23, 2006 as Tift was riding her bike down West Coast Highway.
Prosecutors said Johns had fallen asleep at the wheel after taking a cocktail of prescription drugs Xanax, Ambien sleeping pills and cough medicine when she hit Tift.
Johns was found guilty of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence and causing great bodily injury.
She faces up to 10 years in prison when she is scheduled to be sentenced July 18.
Candace’s mother, Mary Logan, felt some comfort when the verdict was read.
“My first thought was ‘Justice. Consequences for your actions,’” Logan said. “I feel sorry for her children. They lost their dad, and now their mom went through this. I feel sorry for the pain Janene Johns has put her children through.”
“But she chose to drive that day; she chose to take those pills; she chose to act irresponsibly; and now there’s consequences for her actions,” she added.
Defense attorney Gary Pohlson was stunned at the verdict, telling Johns’ son, Andrew, he had no idea how they could find her guilty of the charges. He thought a conviction on lesser charges was more likely, he said.
“This was the most disappointing verdict I have ever had in my career,” Pohlson said.
Johns’ defense tried to argue that she was so grief-stricken by the death of her husband weeks before the accident that she was in an unconscious state when the accident happened, meaning she was not liable. Two psychiatrists testified on behalf of the defense that Johns was possibly unaware she was driving, a symptom of an acute stress disorder.
