The Maryland Supreme Court has reinstated Adnan Syed’s conviction for the 1999 murder of his former girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, and has ordered lower courts to conduct new hearings regarding the evidence that led to his release in 2022.
In a split decision, the Supreme Court did not dispute the evidence that resulted in Syed’s release, but stated that prosecutors acted too hastily in dropping the charges against him. The victim’s family argued that they were denied their rights by not receiving sufficient notice for Hae Min’s brother, Young Lee, to take part in the vacatur proceedings that led to Syed’s freedom.
The majority opinion, authored by Justice Jonathan Biran, highlighted that the prosecutor and the circuit court, while trying to redress what they viewed as an injustice to Syed, instead committed an injustice against Lee by failing to accord him the dignity, respect, and sensitivity he deserved. Biran noted that the state infringed upon Lee’s rights as a crime victim to receive reasonable notice of the Vacatur Hearing, to attend the hearing in person, and to express his views on the vacatur motion.
David Sanford, an attorney for the Lee family, praised the ruling, asserting it reaffirms the rights of crime victims as stipulated in the Maryland State Constitution. He emphasized that the Lee family will now have the opportunity to address the merits of the vacatur motion after the prosecution and defense present their cases, adding that they would readily agree to vacate Syed’s conviction if compelling evidence supported it.
Erica Suter, the assistant public defender representing Syed, expressed her disagreement with the ruling, stating that the decision did not bring justice or closure for Hae Min Lee’s family and inflicted further emotional strain on Syed’s family, who have already suffered significantly over the past two decades.
The case gained national attention through the true crime podcast “Serial,” which raised questions about Syed’s conviction for Lee’s murder. Syed was released from prison in September 2022 after evidence surfaced indicating prosecutors may have withheld critical information during his trial, and DNA tests, unavailable in 2000, excluded him as a suspect.
Young Lee was made aware of the vacatur hearing only days before it took place, leading him to request a delay in order to attend in person, which was denied. Consequently, Syed’s conviction was vacated, and he was released without conditions while the state weighed the option to retry him, ultimately deciding to drop all charges.
The Lee family appealed the vacatur decision on the grounds that their rights had been overlooked, and the Maryland Appellate Court agreed, leading to the reinstatement of Syed’s conviction and calling for a new hearing. The Supreme Court upheld this ruling.
In dissenting opinions, a minority of justices criticized the majority’s ruling for extending beyond its authority and creating new victim’s rights that were not presented or debated during the case. Despite the controversy, Lee’s attorney noted that the ruling resets the process for the vacatur motion, allowing the family to participate in the legal proceedings surrounding the case.
He expressed hope that the opinion will provide the victim’s family with a significant voice, which he believes is crucial in the criminal justice process.