Maryland Supreme Court reinstates Adnan Syed murder conviction, orders new hearing

BALTIMORE— Maryland’s Supreme Court has upheld an appellate court’s decision to reinstate the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, whose case gained national attention in 2014 when it was featured on the first season of the “Serial” podcast.

The ruling says the case should be sent back to a lower court for a new hearing on whether it should be thrown out entirely. The decision reverses a lower court’s ruling that had cleared Syed’s name two years ago.

Syed had served more than 20 years for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee.

He was freed from prison in September 2022 after Baltimore prosecutors found flaws in the evidence presented at trial and a judge agreed to vacate his conviction.

However, Lee’s relatives appealed the decision, contending they didn’t receive sufficient notice to attend the hearing that set Syed free. In March 2023, the Maryland Appellate Court agreed and reinstated Syed’s conviction and ordered a redo of the hearing.

Syed appealed that ruling, bringing the matter to the Maryland Supreme Court. Friday’s ruling comes 11 months after arguments were made.

Justices found the circuit court violated the rights of Young Lee, Hae Min Lee’s brother.

“In an effort to remedy what they perceived to be an injustice to Mr. Syed, the prosecutor and the Circuit Court worked an injustice against Mr. Lee,” the court said.

Syed will remain free until the next hearing which has not been scheduled. The Supreme Court ordered the Lee family must have sufficient notice of the new hearing and a new judge must preside.

“If there’s actually evidence presented that shows that Adnan Syed should not have been convicted, we would be the first ones to congratulate Adnan Syed and argue he should be a free man,” said David Sanford, the attorney for the Lee family. “That hasn’t happened yet.”

In their dissenting opinions, several justices wrote when the case was vacated, any appeal by Young Lee should’ve been rendered moot. Those justices also argued there aren’t any specific victims’ rights that would require Young Lee be allowed to be present at that 2022 hearing.

Syed’s lawyer Erica Suter said that while they disagree with the ruling, the Lee family’s pain in this isn’t lost on them.

“Wrongful convictions devastate the wrongly accused, their family and the family of the victim,” Suter said. “Reinstating Adnan’s wrongful conviction does not provide justice or closure.”

Rabia Chaudry, Syed’s friend and advocate, went on Instagram Live to affirm that she will do what she can to keep Syed a free man.

“I will never not fight for his freedom and I know there are others, also, in his life who will never not fight for his freedom,” Chaudry said.

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