4:45 p.m.: The state of Maryland has "respectfully request[ed] that Petitioner's Application for Leave to Appeal be denied." The 23-page document is listed here. In summation, though, Attorney General of Maryland Brian E. Frosh writes that Adnan Syed was unable to prove he received ineffective assistance of counsel.
12:15 p.m.
Syed, the man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend in 1999 and subject of the wildly popular podcast Serial, may see an appeals court. Syed, who's serving a life sentence for the murder, filed an application with the Maryland Court of Special Appeals for leave to appeal the Baltimore City Circuit Court's denial of his petition for post-conviction relief, ABC News reports. The state's response is due today.
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Syed's application for leave to appeal is a bit confusing. Basically, he's asking an appellate court to review his case, since there's not an option for a direct appeal as it's a criminal case.
According to ABC, there are no oral arguments to accompany Syed's application. But, if the application is approved, the court can hold oral arguments.
These developments follow the efforts of Sarah Koenig's Serial podcast, which illuminated fallacies in Syed's case. ABC News also reports that the Innocence Project based out of the University of Virginia is working to get Syed's case re-opened.
We'll update this story as more information becomes available.
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