Baltimore judge vacates murder conviction of Adnan Syed

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September 20, 2022

By Lisa Robinson, Tommie Clark, Kata Amara, Rachel Duncan, Kim Dacey, Ashley Hinson, WBAL 11

Adnan Syed leaves the courthouse after his first-degree murder conviction in the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee was overturned. (Jerry Jackson / TNS via Getty Images)

A Baltimore City Circuit Court judge on Monday approved the state’s motion to vacate the murder conviction of Adnan Syed.

Syed, 41, appeared in court Monday afternoon after Baltimore City prosecutors filed a motion last week to vacate his murder conviction in the death of his high school ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee.

Syed is accused of killing Lee in 1999 and was subject of the popular podcast, “Serial.” His first trial ended in a mistrial. A jury convicted him in a second trial. Syed had been in jail since his arrest in February 1999.

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn said in her ruling: “In the interest of judgment and fairness, the state’s motion to vacate judgment … is hereby granted. The defendant will be released and placed on remote monitoring … The state will have 30 days to refile or nolle pros. At this time, we will remove the shackles off of Mr. Syed.”

Find more information about the case.

Exonerations and pardons can be important, but can also be traumatizing. Furthermore, they don’t undo the trauma experienced in prison as a result of the war on blacks.

More breaking news here.

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