The story of Adnan Syed, subject of the popular podcast Serial, has taken another strange turn as Syed has been granted an appeal by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.
Syed was convicted and found guilty for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee back in 1999, and he has been serving a prison sentence since 2000. There were many irregularities in the case, however, which were explored by host Sarah Koenig in Serial, including issues with his attorney Christina Gutierrez. Syed’s appeal claimed that Gutierrez was “ineffective” in her handling of the case. Gutierrez agreed to be disbarred in 2001 after clients filed complaints with the state Attorney Grievance Commission.
“It’s the first step in a pretty long process but we’re extremely happy,” Syed’s attorney C. Justin Brown said. The Baltimore Sun adds that the approval of these types of appeals are a “rare ruling,” but as Serial listeners have come to discover, unusual occurrences are normally the case in the 1999 murder of Syed’s ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee.
The appeal has been tentatively set for June 2015, but that is subject to change. Depending on what happens with the trial going forward, however, Koenig might need to revisit the case of Adnan Syed and break down the tricky appeals process. There is no word yet as to how much Asia McClain’s new affidavit will play into the appeal, but to catch up on all the particulars of Syed’s case, here is a quick rundown of everything Serial and more details on Christina Gutierrez from episode 10, “The Best Defense is a Good Defense.”
Source: Rolling Stone