By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – A 32-year-old Alabaster man will spend the next few years in prison after he pleaded guilty to attempted murder, illegal gun possession and multiple drug distribution charges in Shelby County Circuit Court in early November.

Jamel Kentrae Hall, who lists an address on Fifth Avenue Southeast, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder, one count of illegal possession of a pistol and two counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance during a Nov. 6 hearing in front of Circuit Court Judge William Bostick.

As a result of the guilty pleas, Hall was sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison, but his sentence was split to 42 months in prison followed by two years of supervised probation. If he violates the conditions of his sentence, Hall’s original 20-year sentence could be reinstated.

Hall received 1,083 days of credit for time already served in the Shelby County Jail, and additional charges of second-degree possession of marijuana, attempted murder, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, manufacturing of an imitation controlled substance and conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime were dismissed against him through a plea agreement.

The Alabaster Police Department, with the help of the U.S. Marshals Service, originally arrested Hall at his residence on June 10, 2014, and charged him with two counts of attempted murder.

Hall shot and seriously injured a male victim while the victim was driving a vehicle on May 31, 2014. The suspect knew the victim in the case, Alabaster Police Chief Curtis Rigney said previously. The victim did not suffer life-threatening injuries in the shooting.

According to Hall’s arrest warrant, the victim was shot twice in the thigh during the May 31, 2014, incident. On June 6, 2014, Hall “shot at the victim while (the victim) was driving an automobile,” which led to Hall’s second attempted murder charge.

During both incidents, Hall “attempt(ed) to intentionally cause the death” of the victim by shooting him with a .25-caliber handgun, which Hall was not legally allowed to possess.

Hall posted bond on the two attempted murder charges in February 2015, but was rearrested on a conspiracy to commit a controlled substance charge in June 2016 and held without bond.

In mid-October 2016, a Shelby County grand jury reviewed Hall’s conspiracy to commit a controlled substance charge and no-billed the charge. Following the no-bill, Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Lara Alvis reinstated Hall’s original bond amount, and Hall posted bond in late October 2016.

However, Hall’s bond was revoked after he was rearrested on Jan. 18, 2017, during a Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task force drug raid. He has been held in the Shelby County Jail without bond since then.