Al-Amin Gets Life Without Parole

After five hours of deliberation, the jury in the Jamil Al-Amin trial gave Al-Amin life in prison without parole for killing Fulton County Deputy Ricky Kinchen.The jury returned the verdict Wednesday at approximately 5:30 p.m. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Manis gave instructions to members of the court and then allowed the jury into court for the announcement.Judge Manis read the verdict:"We the jury having found beyond a reasonable doubt that statutory aggravated circumstances exist, fix the sentence at life in prison without parole."The jury had been given three sentencing options: death, a life sentence without parole, or life with the possibility of parole.Al-Amin's attorneys plan to appeal his conviction.The jury was made up of nine blacks, two whites and one hispanic.Fulton County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Manis charged the jury Wednesday morning following impassioned closing arguments by the prosecution and defense to either spare Al-Amin's life or sentence him to death.Jurors asked three questions of Judge Manis during deliberations.They asked, "What is the minimum number of years that has to be served under Georgia law in the case of life with parole?"Judge Manis responded, "Life with parole is a matter governed solely by the Department of Pardons and Paroles in its discretion."Following a subsequent lunch break, the jury returned the same question to the judge. This time a defense attorney found the statute regarding the matter.Judge Manis and attorneys for both sides discussed the question and statute, after which the judge responded to the jury with an answer of 14 years.After 5 p.m. Wednesday, the jury asked, "What are the consequences if we the jury can not come to a consensus?"The judge did not answer the question and instructed the jury to continue deliberations. Attorneys reviewed case law in cases where juries could not reach a consensus.Jurors convicted Al-Amin on Saturday in the March 2000 shooting death of Kinchen. Kinchen and Deputy Aldranon English were both shot when they sought to serve a warrant on Al-Amin in Atlanta's West End. English survived and identified Al-Amin, the former Black Panther H. Rap Brown, as his partner's killer.