Jury convicts Ahmad Jamal Akram of murder in Port Arthur killing; punishment phase set

A Jefferson County jury on the record convicted Ahmad Jamal Akram of murder for the March 11, 2022 death of Chadrick Jermon Lane. Judge read the statutory instructions and the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict; the court then moved the case to the punishment phase.

The verdict followed testimony from multiple witnesses, including Port Arthur Police Officer Jesse Alvarado, family members who identified the victim, and the medical examiner who reviewed the autopsy. State prosecutors described evidence they said showed the defendant used a knife that caused fatal wounds. Defense counsel, Michael Burbank, told jurors the events “went too far” but argued the evidence did not prove Akram acted with the required intent for murder. After the guilty verdict the court began the separate sentencing phase and admitted prior convictions for consideration.

The jury convicted after the judge instructed jurors they must find the defendant guilty only if the state proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Akram “intentionally or knowingly caused the death of an individual” and that the killing occurred in Jefferson County on or about March 11, 2022. The judge also instructed jurors on self-defense and on the requirement that they not consider the defendant’s decision not to testify.

Prosecutors had presented testimony that the victim was found with multiple stab wounds and that a body-worn camera and other exhibits were admitted in evidence. Defense counsel repeatedly emphasized to jurors that the defendant and victim had known one another and that there was dispute about whether the defendant acted to defend himself after the victim returned to the residence. The defense also elicited testimony that the defendant said, on video, “it went too far” and that he had not intended to kill the victim.

At the close of the guilt-innocence phase, the jury deliberated and returned a unanimous guilty verdict. The court accepted the verdict and announced that the trial would proceed to the punishment phase. During the punishment phase the state introduced a series of prior judgments spanning the 1990s through 2008; the prosecutor tendered those documents for the jury’s consideration as part of punishment evidence.

The judge instructed jurors that they may consider the evidence from the guilt phase and the evidence admitted in the punishment phase when assessing sentence. The court set the continuing process for the punishment determination and told jurors deliberations on punishment would follow closing argument and the court’s charge for that phase.

Akram, who was in the courtroom throughout, told the court during trial he had discussed with counsel whether to testify and that he voluntarily elected not to do so during the guilt-innocence phase. The judge confirmed that election on the record and warned jurors not to consider the defendant’s silence as evidence.

The court recorded the jury’s finding on the verdict form: “We, the jury, find the defendant Ahmad Jamal Akram guilty of murder as charged in the indictment.” The judge accepted the verdict and formally moved the case into the punishment stage, where testimony about prior convictions and other sentencing evidence has been admitted and further witnesses were called.

A punishment hearing was underway as the transcript closes; jurors were instructed they would return for sentencing deliberations and the court provided schedules for further proceedings.