Adnan Syed’s Conviction Reinstated: Procedural Errors Lead to Supreme Court Ruling

The Maryland Supreme Court has reinstated the conviction of Adnan Syed, the subject of the popular podcast ‘Serial.’ The court found that procedural errors in the 2022 decision to vacate Syed’s conviction for the murder of Hae Min Lee violated the rights of the victim’s family. The court determined that Young Lee, Hae Min Lee’s brother, was not properly notified of the hearing to vacate the conviction and was not given sufficient opportunity to participate, leading to a violation of his rights as a crime victim’s representative. The ruling reopens the case and restarts the process to clear Syed’s conviction, starting from the point where the 2022 motion to vacate was filed. The Maryland state’s attorney’s office had initially sought to vacate the conviction based on newly uncovered evidence related to other suspects in the case.