Posted on 08/30/24
| News Source: Pikesville Patch
The Maryland Supreme Court on Friday upheld a lower court's decision to reinstate Adnan Syed's conviction in the 1999 slaying of Hae Min Lee, according to a report.
The decision comes nearly two years after Syed, whose case was documented on the hit podcast "Serial," was released from prison when a Baltimore Circuit Court judge vacated his conviction in September 2022. Prosecutors dropped all charges against Syed a month later.
The Appellate Court of Maryland reinstated his conviction in March 2023 and ordered a redo of the hearing, stating the victim’s family didn’t receive adequate notice to attend the earlier hearing.
Syed, who was found guilty of killing Hae Min Lee in 2000, spent more than 20 years in prison for her death.
In a lengthy majority opinion obtained by The Washington Post, the Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors and a lower court judge had “worked an injustice” against Hae Min Lee's brother, Young Lee, who said he did not receive proper notice and was denied the right to be heard at the hearing overturning Syed's conviction.
The ruling said Syed’s convictions should be reinstated, according to the Post. The court also said the case should be sent back to a lower court for a new hearing on whether it should be thrown out.
The decision is the latest in a years-long legal fight involving Syed.
Syed's attorneys initially petitioned the Maryland Supreme Court in May 2023, asking justices to review the lower court's ruling to reinstate his murder conviction. In the petition, his attorneys sought an evaluation of several factors in the case, including Young Lee's claim that he did not receive proper notice before the court overturned Syed's conviction.
Shortly after, Lee's family also petitioned the court to hear an appeal of the case. In the filing, the family's lawyer asked the state's highest court to take up the appeal to ensure victims are given a "meaningful voice."
In a June decision, the state Supreme Court agreed to hear both appeals. The court heard arguments in October.
Syed has maintained his innocence in Lee's death. Speaking to reporters last year, Syed made a personal appeal to Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown to investigate possible prosecutorial misconduct in his case; however, Brown quickly denied Syed's request.
Outside the courthouse after October's hearing, Syed said he was looking forward to the court's decision and expressed concern for the family of Hae Min Lee.
"We believe very strongly in trying to find justice for Hae and her family," he told reporters. "And we're hoping also that we're able to find justice for us, too."
It's unclear whether Syed will return to prison following the Supreme Court's decision; however, Syed previously told reporters that he would respect the court's ruling, even if meant going back to jail.