ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Adnan Syed will not go back to jail and his murder sentence is on hold, for now, while the Maryland Supreme Court decides whether to hear his appeal.
The state supreme court issued an order Thursday preventing a lower court from reinstating Syed’s murder conviction.
Syed’s legal case began more than two decades ago and gained international attention since the hit podcast «Serial.» He was freed from him in September by a judge after Baltimore prosecutors vacated his conviction, saying they reviewed the case and found alternative suspects as well as unreliable evidence used at trial.
But the victim’s family said they did not receive sufficient notice to personally attend the September hearing before the judge, violating their right to be «treated with dignity and respect,» and the state’s intermediate appeals court agreed. . In a 2-1 decision in March that was stayed for 60 days, the judges reinstated Syed’s sentence and ordered a rehearing.
With the 60 days coming to an end, Syed’s attorney, Erica Suter, asked the Maryland Supreme Court on Wednesday to stay the case to prevent her client from being potentially jailed while the court considers whether to hear an appeal.
Judge Shirley Watts noted in her order, which was approved by a majority of the court’s seven judges, that the victim’s family and the state attorney general’s office gave their consent to suspend the lower court’s mandate while the Supreme Court considers whether to hear the appeal and during the pendency of an appeal.
Suter is asking the court to review several legal issues, including whether former Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s decision to dismiss the charges against Syed last year made the family’s court challenge moot.
Syed, who has always maintained his innocence, was 17 when his ex-girlfriend and high school classmate Hae Min Lee was found strangled to death and buried in a makeshift grave in 1999. He was arrested weeks later and ultimately convicted of murder. in 2000.
In Wednesday’s court filing, Syed’s attorney noted that he has been employed since December, working as a program associate at Georgetown University’s Prisons and Justice Initiative.
The filing also noted that Syed has been taking care of his elderly parents. His father suffers from dementia and his mother has been diagnosed with leukemia.
«Sir. Syed’s return has meant a better quality of life for his loved ones, as he is able to help with the day-to-day management of his parents’ health, transport them to medical appointments, and generally be of service to them.» the court said filing said.