The family of Hae Min Lee wants a redo of Adnan Syed hearing
BALTIMORE -- The family of Hae Min Lee wants the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to order a redo of the hearing where a judge overturned Adnan Syed's murder conviction, according to the Baltimore Banner.
Steve Kelly, an attorney representing Young Lee, Hae Min Lee's brother, said in a 24-page court filing that his client was denied the right to fully participate in the proceeding due to the fact that prosecutors did not provide him with adequate notice, facts, or evidence, the Baltimore Banner reported on Wednesday.
For that reason, Kelly argues that Young Lee is entitled to a new hearing where he is allowed to exercise his rights as a victim of a crime in the state of Maryland, the Baltimore Banner reported.
Syed, 41, served over two decades in prison for the murder of Lee. Before Lee disappeared in 1999. She and Syed had dated while they were students at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County.
Lee's body was found at Leakin Park in Southwest Baltimore. An autopsy determined she died of strangulation.
Syed was released from prison in September. The following month, prosecutors dropped the charges against him after a forensics test on items that Lee was wearing when her body was recovered did not contain his DNA.
The Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office leaned on a legal note made by a lawyer during the time of the investigation into Lee's death in its motion to throw out Syed's conviction.
The Baltimore SAO claimed the note referenced another suspect and alleged that the state had not turned it over to the defense.
Earlier this week, the Baltimore Banner obtained and made public a copy of the handwritten legal note, which was scribbled onto a notepad by a lawyer during an interview about the murder of Hae Min Lee earlier in the day.
The Baltimore SAO indicated in its statement that Kevin Urick, who once served as a trial prosecutor, had something to do with the leak of the note.
The office maintains that the legal note "has only been in the possession of the SAO and the Attorney General's office."
"It is rather unfortunate that prior prosecutors who have severely mishandled this case continue to try to save face, further traumatizing the victim's family and Mr. Syed due to their misdeeds," the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office said in the statement. "Once again, our office stands by our year-long investigation and our ultimate finding that there is no credible evidence that Mr. Syed was involved in the death of Ms. Lee."
The Baltimore Banner did not say where it obtained the legal note.
Baltimore prosecutors used the note to support their work, citing it as newly discovered evidence that proved there was another murder suspect.
But Urick was referring to Syed in the note, according to the Baltimore Banner.