BALTIMORE — In a significant development regarding the Adnan Syed case, Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates has announced that his office will no longer pursue a motion to vacate Syed's conviction. This decision comes just before a scheduled court hearing.
Bates explained that the withdrawal is due to 'false and misleading statements' present in the initial filing, which was submitted by former State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby. The motion to vacate was granted in September 2022, leading to Syed's release from prison, where he had been serving a life sentence for the murder of Hae Min Lee.
However, the legal saga continued when an appeals court overturned the lower court's decision on procedural grounds, reinstating Syed's conviction. Subsequently, the Maryland Supreme Court ordered a new hearing, which is now off the table following Bates' recent announcement.
On Wednesday, a judge in Baltimore City Circuit Court is set to hear Syed's current request for relief, which involves a motion for sentence reduction under the Juvenile Restoration Act. If this motion is denied, Syed could face a return to prison, although Bates has expressed support for reducing his sentence.
Syed's attorney, Erica Suter, criticized Bates' decision to withdraw the vacatur motion, stating, 'Three times, the courts have vacated Adnan Syed’s conviction; three times he saw his freedom taken away for a crime he didn’t commit. Tonight, the state’s attorney got it wrong. His decision… ignores the injustices on which this conviction was founded.'
Reported by HarborBeat based on WMAR 2 News (source).
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