Topline
The murder conviction of Adnan Syed, who was the subject of the hugely popular podcast Serial, was reinstated Tuesday by a Maryland appellate court, just months after he was freed from serving a life sentence in prison.
Adnan Syed, center, leaves the Cummings Courthouse on Sept. 19, 2022, in Baltimore.
Key Facts
The Appellate Court of Maryland issued a ruling Tuesday saying the state violated the right of notice and the right to attend of Young Lee, the brother of murder victim Hae Min Lee, regarding the hearing in which Syed’s conviction was vacated.
The opinion said the state of Maryland gave Lee one business day’s notice to attend the hearing, which was insufficient because he lives in California, and he had to attend the hearing remotely, which violates his rights as the victim’s representative to attend vacatur hearings and be properly informed of the reasons behind the conviction vacation.
The appeals court ruled to “vacate the circuit court’s order vacating Mr. Syed’s convictions, which results in the reinstatement of the original convictions and sentence.”
The court ordered that “a new, legally compliant, and transparent hearing on the motion to vacate,” be held, in which “Mr. Lee is given notice of the hearing that is sufficient to allow him to attend in person, evidence supporting the motion to vacate is presented.”
The conviction reinstatement will go into effect in 60 days, in order to give “the parties time to assess how to proceed in response to this Court’s decision.
Forbes has reached out to Syed’s attorney for comment.
Crucial Quote
“This Court has the power and obligation to remedy those violations, as long we can do so without violating Mr. Syed’s right to be free from double jeopardy,” the ruling read.
Contra
“The only thing I can get out of them is this feeling of betrayal and that they were blindsided and betrayed,” Steve Kelly, a lawyer for the Lee family, told Insider after Syed was freed from prison. The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s office said it is aware of the “incredible turmoil, despair, and re-victimization that occurs when a conviction is overturned” and it will “continue to utilize all available resources to prosecute those responsible for the death of Hae Min Lee.”
Key Background
Syed was sentenced to life in prison in 2000 for the murder of Hae Min Lee, who died in 1999. The case against him was brought into new light in 2014, when it was featured on the podcast Serial, which popularized the storytelling format and the true-crime genre. The podcast casted doubt on Syed’s conviction. It became the first podcast to reach 5 million downloads, and was the first podcast to win a Peabody award. In September, prosecutors asked a Maryland judge to vacate Syed’s conviction–after he spent 23 years in prison—saying new evidence had emerged and the state had made violations in its initial prosecution. He was subsequently freed from prison. One month later, prosecutors dropped the charges against Syed, saying new DNA testing showed he was not involved in Hae Min Lee’s death. After his conviction was overturned, Syed was hired by Georgetown University as a program associate for the Prisons and Justice Initiative, an organization dealing with the effects of mass incarceration.
Further Reading
DNA Cleared Adnan Syed, Prosecutor Says: ‘Serial’ Subject Served More Than 20 Years In Prison (Forbes)
‘Serial’ Leads Apple And Spotify Podcast Charts After Adnan Syed Freed From Prison (Forbes)
Judge Releases Adnan Syed From Prison After ‘Serial’ Podcast Questioned His Murder Conviction (Forbes)
Adnan Syed Case: Prosecutors Ask Judge To Vacate Murder Conviction At Center Of ‘Serial’ Podcast (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/03/28/serial-subject-adnan-syeds-murder-conviction-reinstated-by-appeals-court/