Adnan Syed Conviction Tossed To Be Released Judge Orders Monday After Featured In ‘Serial’ Podcast

BALTIMORE, MD. (THECOUNT) — A Baltimore judge on Monday ordered the immediate release of Adnan Syed after overturning Syed’s conviction for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee — a case that was chronicled in the hit podcast “Serial.”

Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn ordered that Syed’s conviction be vacated as she approved the release of the now-41-year-old who has spent more than two decades behind bars.

Phinn ruled that the state violated its legal obligation to share exculpatory evidence with Syed’s defense. She ordered Syed to be placed on home detention with GPS location monitoring. She also said the state must decide whether to seek a new trial date or dismiss the case within 30 days, reports AP.

Syed, who has always maintained his innocence, received widespread attention in 2014 when the debut season of “Serial” focused on Lee’s killing and raised doubts about some of the evidence prosecutors had used, inspiring countless dinner table debates about Syed’s innocence or guilt.

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