Adnan Syed's Freedom Depends On State's Attorney Race

BALTIMORE, MD — Adnan Syed, the "Serial" subject who was sentenced in 2000 to life in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, may get a break, depending on the Baltimore state's attorney race. The incumbent and two challengers, all Democrats, gave quite different answers on their views of Syed's case, according to reports.

Syed's conviction was overturned two years ago, on the basis that his attorney failed to properly defend him, but the Maryland Attorney General's Office appealed the overturning, so he's still behind bars. One reason the judge gave for keeping Syed locked up during the appeal process was that he would be a flight risk because of the potential life sentence.

If the Maryland Attorney General's Office's appeal is granted, Syed will stay locked up. If it is denied, however, and Syed's conviction is overturned, his fate will lie in the hands of whoever takes the reins at the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office.

An overturned conviction doesn't necessarily mean freedom for Syed, Rolling Stone reported. It only means that he is no longer legally considered guilty of the murder of Hae Min Lee, and the state's attorney's office can decide whether to retry the case.

Current state's attorney Marilyn Mosby hasn't commented on whether her office would retry Syed. Her two challengers, however, have vastly different views on the case.

Ivan Bates, a former defense attorney who actually worked for the state's attorney's office at the time of Syed's trial, believes firmly that he should not have been convicted.

"The two pieces of evidence that the case relied on have been shown to not be reliable in any way, shape or form," he said, according to Rolling Stone. "There's not enough information to proceed."

Thiru Vignarajah, the other contender for the state's attorney seat, has seen spending the past several years trying to keep Syed in prison, Rolling Stone reported. He cites a "preponderance of evidence" as justification for conviction, and thinks a jury would re-convict Syed.

See also:

• Adnan Syed Case Update: New Trial Ordered
• Appeal Of Adnan Syed Returns To Court
• Bail Denied to 'Serial' Star Adnan Syed
• 'Serial' Star Adnan Syed Requests Release Pending Appeal
• Judge Sets Aside Conviction Of Adnan Syed, Subject Of 'Serial' Podcast
• Witness Takes Stand in 'Serial' Murder Case
• Serial's Adnan Syed Wins Appeal

Article image courtesy of Serial Podcast