Adnan Syed Asks MD Supreme Court To Review Conviction Reinstatement

BALTIMORE, MD — Adnan Syed has asked the Maryland Supreme Court to review a lower court's ruling to reinstate his murder conviction in the 1999 death of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, according to reports. The motion comes three weeks after a Maryland appellate court denied a similar request.

The motion filed by his attorney seeks an evaluation of several factors in the case, CNN reported. This includes the narrative of Hae Min Lee's brother, Young Lee, who claimed he was not given enough notice about last year's hearing, resulting in a judge vacating Syed's murder conviction and releasing him from prison.

Syed's "innocence is not at issue, but his rights as a defendant and freedom as an exoneree are directly impacted by the Appellate Court of Maryland's decision," Syed's attorney, Erica Suter, said in a statement provided to CNN.

Syed, who was found guilty in a 2000 trial of killing his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, gained national attention after the case was chronicled in the hit podcast "Serial."

In September 2022, Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn vacated Syed's first-degree murder conviction in Hae Min Lee's death after former Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby and Syed's lawyer filed motions questioning the integrity of the trial and evidence that sent Syed to prison.

Prosecutors dropped all charges against Syed in October.

The court reinstated Syed's conviction in March and ordered a redo of the hearing at which Syed's conviction was vacated. The panel ruled that a circuit court judge violated the rights of Young Lee, who claimed he did not receive proper notice and was denied the right to be heard at the hearing.

Young Lee's lawyer asked the court to reverse its decision to vacate charges against Syed in December.

Following a court date in February, Syed asked the court to recognize his family's pain.

"It seems like our family, we just go unnoticed," Syed said in a video shared by WJZ's Avajoye Burnett. "Every time we go to court we go unnoticed. We definitely understand Hae's family has suffered so much, and they continue to suffer. And it's just that we suffer too. And we hope that the court today just takes notice of that."

READ MORE:

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• Adnan Syed Speaks Out After Appeal Hearing: 'We've Suffered So Much'
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