New hearing ordered as Adnan Syed’s murder conviction remains in ‘Serial’ case | US News
Despite Maryland’s highest court ordering a new hearing, Adnan Syed’s murder conviction remains in place.
Back in 2000, at the age of 17, Syed was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his former girlfriend and classmate, 17-year-old Hae Min Lee.
Lee was strangled and buried in Baltimore Park in 1999.
Adnan Syed and his mother Shamim Rahman talking to reporters in October last year. Pic: AP
However, Syed, now 43 years old, was released in October 2022 after Baltimore City State Attorney found DNA evidence supporting his innocence.
Syed has consistently maintained his innocence and shown concern for Lee’s surviving relatives.
On Friday, Maryland’s highest court declared that previous proceedings violated the rights of the victim’s family, adding another chapter to the legal saga that gained prominence through the hit podcast “Serial”.
The 4-3 ruling upheld a decision from March last year reinstating Syed’s conviction.
The justices allowed Syed to remain free while the case undergoes review by a new lower court judge regarding the validity of his conviction.
During the latest proceedings, the court assessed how victims could participate in hearings where a conviction might be overturned.
The majority of judges concluded that to rectify what they deemed an injustice to Syed, prosecutors and the lower court had also wronged Ms. Lee’s brother by not treating him with the required dignity, respect, and sensitivity as per Maryland law, as he had not been properly informed of the hearing that resulted in Syed’s release.
The court aims to address these issues leading up to the new hearing.
However, what the exact next steps will be remains uncertain, especially since a new top prosecutor was elected in Baltimore in 2022, potentially impacting how the case is handled.
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The state’s attorney Ivan Bates stated that his office is reviewing the ruling.
Justice Michele Hotten argued that the underlying charges are no longer valid, rendering the issue moot.
“This case is like a procedural zombie. It has been revived despite being expired. The doctrine of mootness was meant to prevent such judicial revival,” wrote Justice Hotten.
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David Sanford, an attorney representing the victim’s family, mentioned that the ruling “recognizes what Hae Min Lee’s family has been arguing: crime victims have a right to be heard in court”.
The case has recently spotlighted the clash between criminal justice reform initiatives and the legal rights of victims and their families, as their voices often conflict with efforts to address and rectify systemic issues such as historic racism, police misconduct, and prosecutorial errors.
