Jury convicts Ahmad Jamal Akron of murder, returns life sentence after finding two prior felonies true

Presiding Judge read the court's punishment charge and the jury returned a verdict finding Ahmad Jamal Akron guilty of murder and true the state's allegation that he had two properly sequenced prior felony convictions; the jury assessed punishment at life in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

The jury's unanimous verdict followed closing arguments in the punishment phase of Cause No. 2239528. The court instructed jurors on punishment ranges that depend on whether prior-conviction enhancements are proved: if two sequential priors are proved, punishment ranges from 25 years to 99 years or life (and a possible fine of up to $10,000); if one prior is proved, the range is 15 to 99 years or life; and if no priors are proved, the range is 5 to 99 years or life. The court also described parole eligibility generally, saying parole eligibility typically occurs after one-half of a…