The Court of Appeal panel re-convicted Adnan Sayed of murder after she “violated the rights of the victim’s family during the case.”
- Adnan Syed’s original convictions and sentence will be reinstated, and the verdict has been served
- The Court of Appeal said this is because his leave hearing needs to be re-run
- Syed served more than two decades behind bars — but was sensationally released after his case was re-circulated, thanks to the “Serial” podcast
An appeals court panel reconvicted Adnan Sayed of murder.
In September 2022, a judge ordered Syed’s release from a life sentence for strangling Hae Min Lee – after he had served 23 years – because they could no longer justify keeping him detained based on new information.
He was tried in 2000 and found guilty of burying his high school sweetheart’s body in a shallow grave in Baltimore’s Lakein Park.
But now, the Maryland Court of Appeals has ruled that the lower court violated the victim’s family’s right to attend a crucial hearing in the case — thus voiding the circuit court’s leave of Syed’s convictions.
This “reinstates original convictions and sentences,” the court said in a ruling issued on Tuesday.
Syed spent more than two decades behind bars — but was sensationally released after his case was re-circulated, thanks to the “Serial” podcast.
Adnan Syed, subject of the “Serial” podcast, had his murder conviction overturned last year. However, today’s move brought them back after the Maryland Special Court of Appeals ruled that the rights of the victim’s family had been violated during the case.
Syed was convicted of strangling Lee (with him above at a 1998 junior prom). The two were classmates in high school who dated. He went to prison for the crime – but in 2022 a judge ruled that keeping him behind bars was no longer justified because of the new information.
The Maryland Court of Appeals ordered a rerun of the hearing in which Syed’s conviction was overturned—resulting in “the original convictions and verdict being reinstated.”
Hae Min Lee’s brother, who is representing the victim in this case, has long argued that he was not given enough time to attend the leave hearing. He alleged that the Baltimore state attorney granted him less than one day’s work.
Today the panel ruled that a circuit court judge had indeed violated Young Lee’s rights in the manner in which she conducted the master’s holiday hearing.
This ruling does not necessarily mean that Syed will go back to prison – but instead that the hearing should be retaken.
The judgment of the Maryland Special Court of Appeals, seen by DailyMail.com, reads: ‘These rights were violated in this case, as the state gave Mr. Lee only one business day’s notice before the hearing, which was insufficient time to allow Mr. reasonable. Lee, who lived in California, to attend the hearing in person, and therefore, the court asked Mr. Lee to attend the hearing remotely.
“Allowing a victim who is entitled to attend court proceedings to appear in person, when the victim makes such a request and all other persons participating in the hearing appear in person, is consistent with the constitutional requirement that victims be treated with dignity and respect.”
Because the circuit court violated Mr. Lee’s right to notice, and his right to attend the hearing on the state’s motion for eviction, in violation of CP § 8-301.1(d), such court has the power and obligation to indemnify. These violations, so long as we can do so without violating Mr. Syed’s right not to be in double jeopardy.
We can do so and, accordingly, vacate the Circuit Court’s order to set aside Mr. Syed’s convictions, which will result in the reinstatement of the original convictions and sentence.
“We are remanding remand for a new, transparent, and legally compliant hearing on the motion for eviction, at which Mr. Lee will be notified of a hearing sufficient to permit him to appear in person, evidence in support of the motion for eviction is presented, and the court will state its reasons in support of its decision.”
This is a breaking news story.
