After almost three hours of deliberations, a Washington County jury came back with their verdict in the case of African-American Shandale Maurice Cooper

Cooper was found guilty of first-degree rape, forcible sodomy and first-degree burglary. Cooper was accused of entering the apartment of the victim in March 2009 and beating and raping her repeatedly. Cooper maintained that there was an evening on consensual sex to celebrate his birthday and that he only hit the victim when she came at him with a knife when he was leaving the apartment. The woman had injuries to her forehead, ear, jaw, eye, mouth, chest and legs. On the rape charge, the jury recommended a sentence of life with the possibility of parole. First-degree rape is an 85% crime which means that Cooper will have to serve at least 38 years and 3 months before the black male can be considered for parole.