Maryland Supreme Court reinstates Adnan Syed murder conviction, orders new hearing

BALTIMORE— Maryland's Supreme Court has upheld an appellate court's decision to reinstate the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, whose case gained national attention in 2014 when it was featured on the first season of the "Serial" podcast.  

The ruling also says the case should be sent back to a lower court for a new hearing on whether it should be thrown out entirely.  The decision reverses a lower court's ruling that had cleared Syed's name two years ago.

Justices found the circuit court violated the rights of Young Lee, brother of the murdered Hae Min Lee.

Hae Min Lee's family argued their rights were violated on the basis they were not given appropriate notice to attend the proceedings in person.

"In an effort to remedy what they perceived to be an injustice to Mr. Syed, the prosecutor and the Circuit Court worked an injustice against Mr. Lee," the court said.

The ruling returns the case to its status before a Baltimore judge threw out Syed's conviction and released him from prison.

Syed had served more than 20 years for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee.