The judge weighs continuous freedom for Adnan Syed in the case of serial ‘murder’

Baltimore – More than a decade after the assassination case of DNA Syed attracted a massive interest through “serial” success, a Baltimore judge is considering a Request to reduce your prayer Until time, which would allow him to remain freely indefinitely despite his conviction continues.

Both Tax And the defense lawyers told Judge Jennifer Schiffer that Syed does not represent a risk for public security. Schiffer also heard from the victim’s family, who urged his Syed sentence.

After several hours of testimony, Schiffer indicated that his written order will address Syed’s recent achievements and the unimaginable suffering of the victim’s family, as well as the horrible nature of the crime. “It is not my intention to leave everyone waiting too much,” he said.

Syed, now 43, It was released From a life imprisonment in 2022 after Baltimore prosecutors discovered problems with the case and asked a judge to revoke his conviction for murder in the 1999 murder of his ex -girlfriend of high school, Hae Min Lee, who was found strangled and buried in an improvised grave.

With his conviction she was temporarily unemployed, Syed has been working on the Prison and Justice initiative of the University of Georgetown and the care of aged relatives. His father died in October.

But Lee’s family challenges led to their conviction being reinstated by the Maryland Supreme Court For a procedural reason, so that the victim’s family can obtain adequate notification of the audience that freed him from prison.

The judge recognized the “long and frankly tortured history of this case.” She described how Lee’s pain has worsened through decades of litigation and intense media attention.

Syed, however, is not the same person who was 17, he said.

“It has changed. He has matured and had some success in society, ”said Schiffer.

Lee never had the opportunity to “do any of these things,” he added.

The emotional testimony included the witnesses that described Syed as a uniform temperament, strong communication skills, love relationships and an impressive ability to maintain hope for 23 years after bars.

Eric Simmons, an exonerate who was imprisoned with Syed for many years, said he demonstrated a level of humanity and compassion since the beginning of his prison mandate.

“In a place that is known as the belly of the beast, Syed showed people, including myself, that you don’t have to act like an animal even though you are imprisoned,” he said.

But Lee’s family and his lawyer urged the judge to honor Syed’s conviction and defend his sentence. They said that recent procedures, from 2022, when they were surprised to learn about Syed’s abrupt release, they have torn open old wounds.

Lee’s younger brother, Young Lee, said he endured the pain of sitting through Syed’s original trial. When he finally ended, he said, the guilt verdict meant that his sister “could finally rest in peace.” Upon learning of the state’s efforts to throw Syed’s conviction he left him in shock, wondering if the prosecutors were still on the side of the family, he said through tears.

When he finished speaking, the judge offered an apology: “I am very sorry for what you have happened, and all I can say is that your words do not miss me, and my heart is with you,” he said.

In a video recorded in Video who speaks in Korean, Lee’s mother questioned the integrity of the American Criminal Justice System that believed that she had resolved her daughter’s murder 25 years ago. She said it is comforted in Syed’s conviction, even while struggling to maintain her willingness to live.

“Those who commit a crime must pay the price,” he said.

Syed drowned talking about how the Lee family has suffered. He said he is trying to keep his head down and contribute positively to society.

“I only recognize his pain. I don’t want to cause more pain for them, ”he said. “I do my best to live a good life, because that’s what I owe everyone.”

Syed has maintained his innocence from the beginning, but many questions remain unanswered even after the “series” podcast reviewed through evidence, he reexamined legal arguments and interviewed witnesses. The series debuted in 2014 and attracted millions of listeners who became armchair detectives.

Term and legal turns, the case has recently faced the efforts to reform criminal justice against the Victims of the rights of crimes and their families, whose voices are often disagree with an increasing movement to recognize and correct systemic racism, police misconduct and the false prosecutors.