Adnan Syed asks Maryland Supreme Court to hear appeal on reinstatement of conviction

BALTIMORE — Adnan Syed asked the Maryland Supreme Court Wednesday to hear an appeal on its ruling to reinstate his conviction, his attorney said.

The Appellate Court of Maryland reinstated the conviction in March after the Lee family filed an appeal saying their rights were violated because they weren't given the opportunity to attend the hearing that led to Syed's release. Her brother, who lives out of state, appeared on Zoom during the proceeding.  

Syed's attorneys previously said they plan to appeal to the state's highest court.

"Beyond the import of these proceedings to Adnan and his family, the issues raised have broader implications for our entire legal system, most notably the authority of the State to dismiss a case, the role of victims' representatives in proceedings to redress unjust convictions, and the restrictions placed on judges' discretion to utilize remote communication services like Zoom," attorney Erica Suter said in a statement Wednesday.    

The court has to agree to take up the appeal. Attorney David Sanford, counsel for the Lee family, called on the Supreme Court to uphold the Appellate Court ruling. 

"The Appellate Court of Maryland recognized that victims in the state of Maryland have rights," Lee said. "We are confident that the Maryland Supreme Court will also recognize those rights and hold that victims may not only receive notice of and attend a vacatur hearing, but also meaningfully participate in that hearing."

Syed, whose case gained national attention when it was featured on the podcast "Serial," was released from prison in September of 2022 after serving more than 20 years for the murder of his Woodlawn High School classmate and ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee.  

Last September Syed's sentence was vacated and he was released from prison.  

This story is still developing and will be updated.