Court to review reinstatement of Adnan Syed murder conviction

The Maryland Supreme Court will review the reinstatement of Adnan Syed’s murder conviction this fall to determine whether the conviction should be upheld. 

State Supreme Court Senior Justice Shirley Watts issued the ruling Wednesday, setting arguments to be scheduled for Oct. 5.

Briefs from Syed’s attorney and the attorney for the family of Hae Min Lee, the 18-year-old who Syed was convicted of killing in 2000, are due in August. Responses are then due in September.

After Syed’s conviction, his case received renewed attention with the popular podcast “Serial” in 2014. Prosecutors reviewing his case eventually filed a motion saying they uncovered new evidence that called Syed’s conviction into question, and a Baltimore judge overturned the conviction in September after Syed spent more than 20 years in prison. 

The judge ruled the state did not comply with its obligation to share evidence with Syed that could have helped his defense. Prosecutors were given 30 days to decide whether to request a new trial or dismiss the case, and they decided the next month to dismiss the case. 

But his conviction was reinstated in March by the Maryland appellate court after it ruled that the Baltimore judge did not give Lee’s family enough notice to appear at the hearing. 

The top court in the state decided last month to pause the reinstatement of his conviction and not order Syed back to prison immediately while it considered whether to take up the case. 

Erica Suter, an assistant public defender representing Syed, said in a statement that they are pleased with the court’s ruling and hopeful about their chances of the conviction being struck down again. 

“We are very pleased that the Supreme Court recognized the importance of reviewing the legal issues raised by the Appellate Court’s decision, and we are optimistic that we will prevail,” Suter said. “The legal team and Adnan’s family are also grateful that the Court extended the stay so we can be assured that Adnan will remain free while this appeal is pending.” 

David Sanford, an attorney for Lee’s brother, told The Hill that the state Supreme Court should allow his client and their family the ability to challenge the evidence that has called Syed’s conviction into question.

“The State of Maryland supports victims and their families with rights acknowledged by Maryland’s own state constitution and statutory scheme,” he said. “We will urge the Maryland Supreme Court to recognize those rights by allowing Young Lee and his family the opportunity to challenge the state’s evidence, to the extent it has any evidence, suggesting Adnan Syed did not murder Young Lee’s sister 23 years ago.”

This story was updated at 6:31 p.m.