Adnan Syed's Lawyers Ask MD Supreme Court To Keep Him Free

BALTIMORE, MD — Lawyers for Adnan Syed, whose murder conviction in the 1999 slaying of Hae Min Lee remains in limbo, have asked the Maryland Supreme Court to reverse a lower court's decision to reinstate his conviction, according to reports.

In a brief filed Wednesday, Syed's lawyers argued that since prosecutors already dismissed charges against their client, the court could not reinstate his conviction, the Baltimore Banner reported.

Syed, who was found guilty of killing Hae Min Lee in 2000, spent more than 20 years in prison for her death and 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 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 Hae Min Lee's brother, Young Lee, who claimed he did not receive proper notice and was denied the right to be heard at the hearing.

In Wednesday's brief, Syed's lawyers argued that Young Lee's participation in the hearing via Zoom was sufficient, according to the Banner. Syed's lawyers also argued that Young Lee has not shown how the proceedings would have been different had he attended the hearing in person.

As a result, Syed and his family have spent the past 10 months living in fear, lawyers said.

"The terrifying specter of reincarceration has hung over Mr. Syed’s head every day for the past ten months," his attorneys said in the filing obtained by Fox Baltimore.

In May, Syed's attorneys petitioned the Maryland Supreme Court to review the lower court's ruling to reinstate his murder conviction. In the petition, his attorneys sought an evaluation of several factors in the case, including Young Lee's claims.

Shortly after, Lee's family also petitioned the court to hear an appeal of the case. In the filing, the family's lawyer asked the state's highest court to take up the appeal to ensure victims are given a "meaningful voice."

In a June decision, the state Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.

As the case drags on, Syed will remain free while the appeal is pending. But there is a chance he could ultimately return to prison, depending on the outcome.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.