The Maryland Court of Special Appeals ruled that Syed’s conviction should be reinstated, overturning a lower court decision that granted him a new trial. Syed was convicted of first-degree murder in 2000 and sentenced to life in prison.
but his case gained widespread attention after it was the subject of the popular podcast Serial in 2014. The podcast questioned the validity of his conviction and raised new evidence that had not been presented during his trial.
The new evidence included testimony from an alibi witness who claimed to have seen Syed in the library at the time of the murder. However, the court ruled that Syed’s attorney had not been deficient in his representation as the new evidence presented during the post-conviction proceedings did not undermine the entire case against Syed.
the ruling by the appellate court was not about reinstating the conviction of Adnan Syed but rather vacating the lower court’s order granting Syed a new trial. The appellate court ruled 2-1 that Syed is not entitled to a new trial based on his claim that his lawyer failed to investigate a potential alibi witness.
The ruling stated that Syed did not meet the burden of proof required to show that his lawyer’s failure to contact the alibi witness affected the outcome of his trial. the Lee family is pleased with the court’s decision.
They seem to be looking forward to the upcoming transparent hearing where the evidence will be presented in open court, and the court’s decision will be based on evidence for everyone to see. It will be interesting to see how this case progresses.