Posted on 02/26/25
| News Source: WBAL TV
Baltimore, MD - Feb. 26, 2025 - Baltimore's prosecutor on Tuesday withdrew the motion to vacate judgment in the case of Adnan Syed.
It comes the night before Syed was set to go before a judge to have his sentence officially reduced.
Syed's court appearance was based on the Juvenile Reduction Act. Since Syed did at least 20 years for a crime he was accused of as a child, and he has since turned his life around, the act states his sentence should be reduced to time served.
Bates' decision differs from his predecessor, Marilyn Mosby. After looking at the case, Bates said he found the evidence was not there to support Mosby's claim.
| DOCUMENTS: Public Filing | Executive Summary (PDFs)
The Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office said it continues to support Syed's Juvenile Resentencing Act motion.
In a statement, Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates said: "After a thorough review of the motion to vacate judgment filed by the previous administration in the case of Adnan Syed, my office has determined that it contains false and misleading statements that undermine the integrity of the judicial process. As prosecutors, our duty is to seek justice and ensure that all legal proceedings are conducted transparently, accurately, and fairly.
"While I did not ask for this task, it was remanded to my office by the Supreme Court of Maryland; thus, we have a duty as Maryland-barred attorneys, prosecutors tasked with pursuing justice, and officers of the court to address false and misleading statements in the state's legal filings -- a duty that we take extremely seriously. As such, we cannot adopt the falsehoods and misleading statements in the motion to vacate judgment nor fail to bring them to the court's attention.
"For these reasons, I formally withdrew the motion to vacate judgment. I did not make this decision lightly, but it is necessary to preserve the credibility of our office and maintain public trust in the justice system. My administration remains fully committed to reviewing cases where wrongful convictions or miscarriages of justice may have occurred. However, we will do so with the highest standards of integrity and a commitment to truth.
"I recognize the complexity and sensitivity of this case. I hope this comprehensive review and my ultimate decision bring closure to all parties involved."
Syed's attorney, Erica Suter, the assistant public defender and director of the Innocence Project Clinic at University of Baltimore Law School, released a statement Tuesday night, saying: "Three times, the courts have vacated Adnan Syed’s conviction; three times he saw his freedom taken away for a crime he didn't commit. Tonight, the state's attorney got it wrong. His decision to withdraw his office's motion to vacate Adnan's conviction ignores the injustices on which this conviction was founded. We will continue to fight to clear his name through all legal avenues available to him.
"We await the decision of the judge in tomorrow's hearing on our motion to reduce Adnan's sentence under the Juvenile Restoration Act. Given his accomplishments in prison and his work in the community since release, Adnan is a model candidate for a sentence reduction. Tomorrow, we will focus our efforts on ensuring that his freedom is not taken away from him again. After spending 23 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Adnan is not bitter. He is rebuilding a life for himself and his family, while continuing to profess his innocence."
Syed was released from prison in September 2022 after prosecutors asked a judge to overturn his murder conviction in the 1999 killing of his high school ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. But challenges from Lee's family later led to his conviction being reinstated. In August, the Maryland Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision ordering a new hearing about vacating the conviction.
In December 2024, Syed's attorneys filed a motion asking for his sentence to be reduced under Maryland's relatively new Juvenile Restoration Act, which allows people serving long sentences for crimes they committed as minors to seek release after 20 years behind bars.
11 News spoke with two lawyers on Tuesday who agreed that while it is possible, it is not probable that Syed could return to prison.
A legal analyst said it may be an opportunity for Bates to be on the record with the case, with his administration not being the one that tried it initially.