Maryland’s Supreme Court Friday upheld a state appellate decision and reinstated Adnan Syed’s murder conviction. Syed’s case was featured in the ‘Serial’ podcast. The state supreme court said the state violated victim rights when it vacated Syed’s conviction. File Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/ EPA-EFE
Aug. 30 (UPI) — The Maryland Supreme Court Friday reinstated Adnan Syed’s murder conviction in a 4-3 ruling that upheld a state appellate decision.
The court said the rights of the murder victim’s brother were violated in vacating Syed’s conviction.
The Baltimore Appellate Court freed Syed from prison in September 2022, vacating his conviction for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee based on prosecutors withholding exculpatory evidence.
The Appellate Court of Maryland then reinstated Syed’s conviction in March 2023, finding that the Baltimore appellate court had violated the rights of Young Lee, brother of the murder victim.
The state supreme court decision Friday upheld reinstating Syed’s conviction and remanded the case back to Baltimore Circuit Court.
The state supreme court decision said, “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 by failing to treat him with dignity, respect, and sensitivity and, in particular, by violating Mr. Lee’s rights as a crime victim’s representative to reasonable notice of the Vacatur Hearing, the right to attend the hearing in person, and the right to be heard on the merits of the Vacatur Motion.”
The case now returns to the point before Syed’s conviction was overturned.
Syed remains free while the case goes back to Baltimore. He had served 20 years before his release.
“We conclude that the appropriate course of action is to remand this case to the Circuit Court for Baltimore City for further proceedings consistent with this opinion before a different judge. On remand, the parties, Mr. Lee, and the circuit court will begin where they were immediately after the State’s Attorney filed the Vacatur Motion on September 14, 2022,” the state supreme court decision said.
Lee attorney David Sanford said in a Friday statement the state supreme court decision made it clear victim’s rights are “to be treated with dignity, respect and sensitivity.”
The new hearing will be under the administration of state’s attorney Ivan Bates, who indicated while campaigning that he believed Syed’s conviction was legally flawed and he should be freed from prison.
A different prosecutor will handle the case.
Bates told reporters Friday his office needs time to fully understand the state supreme court opinion.
Syed’s case became high-profile internationally after it was featured on the hit podcast Serial.