The family of Hae Min Lee will appeal the decision that released Adnan Syed from prison.
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Steve Kelly, the lawyer for the Lee family, sent this statement to WMAR-2 News late Wednesday night:
"Young Lee filed the attached notice of appeal based on violations of his family’s right to meaningfully participate in the September 19, 2022 hearing on the motion to vacate Adnan Syed’s conviction. The notice of appeal is the first step in seeking the Maryland Court of Special Appeals’ review of the potential violations of Maryland’s victim’s rights statutes in connection with the hearing."
Earlier this month, a Baltimore judge vacated Syed's murder conviction from more than 20 years ago. He was released on home detention. During that hearing on September 19, Lee's brother, Young Lee, testified via Zoom. He requested testimony in person, but the judge determined his virtual statements were sufficient. Lee's family said at the time they had little notice of the hearing.
Under Maryland law, The Baltimore State's Attorney's Office has 30 days to either dismiss the charges against Syed or proceed with a new trial. The decision on whether to retry the case, hinges on pending touch DNA results, that could help further determine if Syed was linked to the murder or not.
Zy Richardson, Director of Communications for the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office, sent this statement about the notice of appeal:
"We truly empathize with Hae Min Lee’s family, who believed they had resolution and are now being re-traumatized by the misdeeds of the prior prosecutors. As administrators of the criminal justice system, our responsibility is to ensure that justice is done, and the right person is held accountable. We refuse to be distracted from this fundamental obligation and will never give up in our fight for the Lee family."
Although not in office at the time of Lee's murder, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh has denied that state prosecutors withheld evidence during the original trial.
Mosby's office filed a motion to vacate Syed's conviction claiming that they uncovered previously undisclosed material suggesting two other suspects could have potentially been responsible for the murder.
Syed had been jailed since 1999, serving a life sentence for the murder of Lee, his high school girlfriend, whose body was discovered in Leakin Park.
