Adnan Syed was not released because the American criminal justice system is fair. He was released despite its brokenness and corruption. larabazelon writes
Barred: Why the Innocent Can’t Get Out Of Prison
In 2010 and again in 2014, Syed’s attorneys filed appeals seeking to overturn his conviction based on the unreliability of the cell-phone evidence and the incompetence of Syed’s trial lawyer. At this point, prosecutors could have reopened the investigation — or at a minimum, reviewed their files to make sure everything had been done correctly.
Having an elected prosecutor recommend that a court overturn a conviction following a full reinvestigation is a relatively new phenomenon. Several of my recent clients have been the beneficiaries of similar arrangements put in place by other reform-minded prosecutors. But in 2013, when I was litigating my first wrongful-conviction case in Los Angeles, we faced the same innocence-denying headwinds that Syed was confronting thousands of miles away.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Judge Orders Subject of ‘Serial’ Podcast Released From PrisonA judge has ordered the release of Adnan Syed, the subject of ‘Serial’ and ‘The Case Against Adnan Syed’:
Read more »
'Serial' Host Says Evidence That Freed Adnan Syed Was Long AvailableSarah Koenig, who hosts the true-crime podcast ‘Serial', had a mixed reaction regarding how long authorities took to act on evidence in the Adnan Syed case.
Read more »
Adnan Syed was released from prison. What role did ‘Serial’ play?It took more than just the true crime podcast to free Adnan Syed.
Read more »
'Serial' Podcast Subject Adnan Syed Is Released From Prison After 23 YearsWe take a closer look at the case of Adnan Syed and its impact on podcasting.
Read more »
Adnan Syed's Conviction Was Vacated -- But Justice Is a Long Way OffEight years later after ‘Serial’ revealed major flaws in Syed’s 2000 conviction, he’s out of prison, but the question of who murdered Hae Min Lee remains
Read more »
'Serial' case: Adnan Syed freed, creator of hit podcast says evidence was long availableA Baltimore judge has ordered the release of Adnan Syed after overturning Syed's conviction for a 1999 murder that was chronicled in the hit podcast 'Serial.'
Read more »