Adnan Syed's Murder Conviction Is Reinstated

It's unclear whether he will have to return to prison before new hearing
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 28, 2023 1:52 PM CDT
Court Reinstates Murder Conviction of Adnan Syed
Adnan Syed speaks to reporters outside the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal building after a hearing, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, in Annapolis, Md.   (Barbara Haddock Taylor/The Baltimore Sun via AP)

Adnan Syed's high-profile legal saga is not over yet. An appellate court in Maryland on Tuesday reinstated the murder conviction of the man made famous by the Serial podcast over the 1999 murder of classmate Hae Min Lee, reports the Washington Post. A new hearing in the case will be scheduled, and it's unclear if Syed will have to return to prison in the interim, reports the Baltimore Sun. Syed went free in September after more than 20 years behind bars when a circuit court judge vacated his murder conviction, ruling that prosecutors failed to properly turn over evidence during his trial.

But the state appellate court on Tuesday reversed that ruling and said Lee's family wasn't given enough notice of last year's hearing. The appellate court also said the "mandate" of Tuesday's decision would not go into effect for 60 days to give both sides “time to assess how to proceed," per the Post. The court said Lee's brother, Young Lee, must be given the opportunity to attend the new hearing, though it's unclear if he would be able to present evidence against Syed, per the Sun. (More Adnan Syed stories.)

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