Javonta Deshon Jack was a 20-year-old African American man from Port Arthur who was fatally shot at the Avery Trace Apartments on November 7, 2017. Authorities identified Diante Burrell as the primary suspect, and testimony at trial described an altercation that night during which Burrell allegedly shot Jack.

The trial began years later and included multiple witnesses, among them Jack’s family members and law enforcement officers. The defense moved to suppress evidence related to a search of Burrell’s home and portions of his interrogation; Judge Raquel West agreed with the defense on some points, which narrowed the evidence the prosecution could use. Despite those rulings, the prosecution continued to present the admissible evidence and witness testimony.

Jack’s family and the Port Arthur community followed the case closely as the court weighed the remaining evidence and testimonies.