On Friday, the Maryland Supreme Court determined that a crucial hearing responsible for Adnan Syed’s release must be conducted again, prolonging a legal struggle that has been covered in the famous podcast “Serial.”

The court supported a prior Maryland Appellate Court decision, which stated that the family of murder victim Hae Min Lee ‒ Syed’s former girlfriend murdered in 1999 ‒ was entitled to attend the hearing in person.

This recent ruling reverts the case to the prehearing status, allowing Lee’s family to be present.

Consequently, Syed’s murder conviction will remain reinstated. Nevertheless, he continues to remain free from prison during these legal proceedings, with the Supreme Court asserting that its decision will not alter the conditions of his release until further steps are taken, which may ultimately prove Syed’s innocence.

“While this latest ruling poses a challenge to Adnan’s quest for exoneration, we believe that justice will ultimately be served, and we are committed to clearing his name,” stated Erica Suter, Syed’s lawyer and director of the Innocence Project at the University of Baltimore Law School, in a statement to YSL News.

Syed was released from prison nearly two years ago after a Baltimore judge found that the state had failed to share crucial evidence with his defense team. Following that, prosecutors dismissed his charges, citing DNA evidence that indicated his innocence. The case garnered significant attention in 2014 with the debut of the “Serial” podcast, which triggered widespread support for him.

However, in March 2023, the Appellate Court of Maryland reinstated his conviction, contending that the hearing leading to his release violated the rights of Lee’s brother, Young Lee. The Appellate Court noted that Young Lee received less than one business day’s notice about the hearing and could only appear virtually as he was unable to travel from California.

Suter maintained that attending the hearing remotely was adequate; however, the Maryland Supreme Court ruled that he was entitled to attend in person. She emphasized that this current legal issue is “not concerning Adnan’s innocence,” but is about the procedural matters surrounding his exoneration.

“In seeking to address what they considered to be an injustice to Mr. Syed, the prosecutor and the circuit court inflicted an injustice upon Mr. Lee by not treating him with due respect and sensitivity…” the Maryland Supreme Court stated in their ruling.

Suter remarked that Syed’s team understands the Lee family’s pain, stating that reinstating Syed’s conviction does not alleviate their suffering while placing a “huge burden” on Syed and his family.

“After spending 23 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Adnan is once again engaged in the struggle for his freedom,” Suter pointed out.

The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s office is currently reviewing the court’s decision, according to spokesperson Emily Witty, who spoke with YSL News.