Invoking a relatively new state law, a Baltimore judge sidestepped a dispute over the guilt or innocence of Adnan Syed in the murder case covered by the popular "Serial" podcast to rule that Syed does not have to return to prison to serve the rest of a life sentence, the Associated Press reports. Judge Jennifer Schiffer decided to reduce Syed’s sentence to time served under a law that allows for the release of individuals convicted of crimes committed when they were minors. The judge also ordered that Syed be placed on supervised probation for five years. “After reviewing the entire record, the court concludes that the Defendant is not a danger to the public and that justice will be better served by a reduced sentence,” Schiffer stated in her decision, endorsing a view shared by the prosecution and defense. The ruling followed a hearing last week that featured emotional testimony from Syed as well as family members of the victim, Hae Min Lee, who was strangled and buried in a shallow grave in a Baltimore park in 1999.
Syed, now 43, had served almost 24 years for the crime when his persistent claims of innocence led Baltimore prosecutors to seek to vacate his conviction, based on problems with the evidence that led to his original conviction. He was released from prison in 2022. Lee's family later succeeded in getting the conviction reinstated after challenging the ruling on procedural grounds, arguing they didn’t receive proper notice to attend the hearing that freed Syed from prison, where they participated only through a video connection. The family continued to seek Syed's return to prison to finish serving his life sentence. The current Baltimore state’s attorney, Ivan Bates, who publicly raised doubts about the integrity of the conviction before becoming the city’s top prosecutor, said last week that his office believes in the jury’s verdict and has no plans to continue investigating the case. His office withdrew the earlier motion to vacate the conviction even as he supported a reduced sentence. Since his release, Syed has been working at Georgetown University’s Prisons and Justice Initiative and caring for his aging family members. The judge pointed out in her ruling that Syed’s behavior following his release led her to believe he has reached "the maturity and fitness required for a crime-free life outside of prison," Schiffer wrote. Erica Suter, an attorney who represented Syed, stated that his legal team was "focused on the joy and relief of this decision," and emphasized that Syed was grateful for the reduction in his sentence. “Given his accomplishments in prison and his work in the community since release, he was a model candidate for a sentence reduction,” Suter said. “Adnan is committed to continuing to be a productive member of his community and living a life centered around his family.”