BALTIMORE — On the eve of a big court hearing, Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates announced his office would no longer support a motion to throw out Adnan Syed's conviction.
This ends the vacatur hearing process.
Bates cited 'false and misleading statements' in the original filing as reasons for withdrawing the motion.
It was Bates' predecessor, Marylin Mosby, who had filed for a vacatur in the case. It was granted in September 2022.
Since then, Syed, who was serving a life sentence for the murder of Hae Min Lee, has been a free man.
READ MORE: Adnan Syed files for relief under the Juvenile Restoration Act
But an appeals court later overturned a lower judge's order on procedural grounds and reinstated Syed's conviction.
Maryland's Supreme Court later ordered a new hearing.
That's no longer going to happen with the withdrawal of the vacatur motion.
On Wednesday a Baltimore City Circuit Court judge will consider Syed's only current path to relief, a motion for sentence reduction, under the Juvenile Restoration Act.
If denied, Adnan Syed would go back to prison, though Bates supported the motion to reduce his sentence.
RELATED: Adnan Syed case back in court Wednesday for Juvenile Restoration Act hearing
Syed's attorney, Erica Suter, blasted Bates' decision.
"Three times, the courts have vacated Adnan Syed’s conviction; three times he saw his freedom taken away for a crime he didn’t commit. Tonight, the state’s attorney got it wrong. His decision… ignores the injustices on which this conviction was founded."
Read Bates' full statement below.
“After a thorough review of the Motion to Vacate Judgment filed by the previous administration in the case of Adnan Syed, my office has determined that it contains false and misleading statements that undermine the integrity of the judicial process. As prosecutors, our duty is to seek justice and ensure that all legal proceedings are conducted transparently, accurately, and fairly.
“While I did not ask for this task, it was remanded to my office by the Supreme Court of Maryland; thus, we have a duty as Maryland-barred attorneys, prosecutors tasked with pursuing justice, and officers of the Court to address false and misleading statements in the State's legal filings - a duty that we take extremely seriously. As such, we cannot adopt the falsehoods and misleading statements in the Motion to Vacate Judgment nor fail to bring them to the Court's attention.
“For these reasons, I formally withdrew the Motion to Vacate Judgment. I did not make this decision lightly, but it is necessary to preserve the credibility of our office and maintain public trust in the justice system. My administration remains fully committed to reviewing cases where wrongful convictions or miscarriages of justice may have occurred. However, we will do so with the highest standards of integrity and a commitment to truth.
“I recognize the complexity and sensitivity of this case. I hope this comprehensive review and my ultimate decision bring closure to all parties involved,”
