Serial’s Adnan Syed Could Be Out Of Prison Soon

Lawyers for Serial’s Adnan Syed have filed a motion asking for Syed to be released on bail, The New York Times reported on Monday. “Syed has now served more than 17 years in prison based on an unconstitutional conviction for a crime he did not commit,” the filing read, saying that Syed had “no history of violence” and would not pose a threat to the public. Syed was granted a new trial in late June, and has remained in prison as the state of Maryland fought his appeal. The Maryland attorney general’s office told The Times that the office had not yet received the filing and did not yet have a response.

Update: August 2, 2016: The Maryland attorney general’s office is arguing against a ruling that grants a retrial of the case against Serial’s Adnan Syed, The Baltimore Sun reported on Monday. The attorney general’s office is fighting Syed’s appeal and retrial, saying that the judge in the appeal wrongly allowed evidence regarding cell phone records in the case. Judge Martin Welch allowed the defense to introduce a fax cover sheet that contained a disclaimer that may cast doubt on the reliability of location data from phone tower records used in the initial case. Deputy Attorney General Thiru Vignarajah wrote in the attorney general’s office’s appeal that post-conviction hearings can only be held when there is new evidence, and that Syed’s lawyer’s failure to discuss the cover sheet in the original trial didn’t qualify as “ineffective counsel.” Syed was convicted in 2000 of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, and given a life sentence. He was granted a retrial in late June, after appealing his conviction.

This article was originally published on June 30, 2016. Attention to all Serial fans: The saga is not over yet. Adnan Syed, the man at the heart of the popular podcast, was granted a new trial on Thursday, his attorney announced on Twitter. Syed was only 19 when he was convicted for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, who disappeared in the winter of 1999. Now in his early 30s, Syed has been serving a life sentence in a Maryland prison since his conviction. Serial explored the inconsistencies of the case, and the podcast quickly grew a massive following. Judge Martin Welch vacated Syed's conviction on Thursday because his previous attorney "rendered ineffective assistance when she failed to cross-examine the state's expert regarding the reliability of cell tower location evidence," reported The Baltimore Sun. You can read the court order here.