WASHINGTON, March 11 (IslamOnline) – American Muslims were visibly disappointed Saturday after an Atlanta, Georgia jury issued a verdict that found prominent American Muslim leader Imam Jamil Al-Amin guilty on all 13 counts against him, including one count of murder.

The National Support Committee for Imam Jamil Al-Amin* will hold a news conference in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday to offer the American Muslim community's reaction to Saturday’s verdict that found Al-Amin guilty of killing one Fulton County sheriff's deputy and wounding another.

In a statement issued Saturday, the national committee said: "We do not believe the facts presented in court warranted a guilty verdict against Imam Jamil. His defense team offered credible evidence indicating that he was not the person who shot the deputies. We believe Imam Jamil will be exonerated on appeal."

Reacting to the fact that Al-Amin could be sentenced to death, the committee said, "Because the death penalty has been disproportionately applied to minority defendants in America, we oppose its use in this, or any other trial."

"The American Muslim community and its leadership will continue to support the cause of justice in this case and will work to ensure that Imam Jamil is able to exercise all the rights he is entitled to under the law."

The sequestered Fulton Superior Court jury deliberated for 10 hours, over a two-day span, before coming back with the guilty verdicts.

Al-Amin was convicted of killing Sheriff's Deputy Ricky Kinchen and wounding Deputy Aldranon English on March 16, 2000 as the two tried to him arrest for missing a court date on unrelated felony charges.

English pointed out Al-Amin as the gunman.

Al-Amin’s trial has caused a stir in the American Muslim community as fears arose that he would not get a fair trial and could be convicted solely on religious grounds and not on factual evidence.

The jury comprised of nine African Americans, two white people and one Hispanic; the gender of the jurors was split down the middle with 6 men and six women, none of the men were white. However, there were no Muslims on the jury.

Al-Amin’s lawyers argued that Al-Amin was never seen at the scene of the crime and that the “witness” who later picked him out of a police line-up described his eye color incorrectly.

Two witnesses also testified that they saw a white van driving away from the scene immediately after the crime and that the man they saw getting into the van was much shorter that Al-Amin, who stands at 6 feet 5 inches.

Character witnesses for Al-Amin all relayed that he was a well known civil rights activist who actively set up voter registration drives and was even a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.

Members of his mosque in Atlanta refused to comment and his lawyers have been placed under a court issued gag order by Superior Court Judge Stephanie Manis.

Al-Amin will be sentenced at a later date and could be sentenced to death.

* The National Support Committee for Imam Jamil comprises of:

Al-Ummah (Imam Jamil Al-Amin), American Muslim Alliance (AMA), American Muslim Foundation (AMF), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), Muslim American Society (MAS), Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), Students Alliance for Imam Jamil and Women in Islam Justice Committee.