Adnan Syed’s lawyers seek reduced prison sentence

Adnan Syed’s legal team pushes to lower his sentence

FOX 5 has new details in a complex criminal case highlighted in the hit podcast "Serial." Lawyers representing Adnan Syed are now pushing to reduce his prison sentence. FOX 5's Julie Donaldson has the story.

Adnan Syed, whose case gained national attention through the hit podcast Serial, is now seeking a reduction in his prison sentence following his release in 2022.

Adnan Syed leaves court in Annapolis after a hearing. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Syed’s legal team is citing a Maryland law that allows individuals imprisoned for at least 20 years for crimes committed as minors to request a reduced sentence.

Syed was freed after the prosecution discovered flaws in the evidence used to convict him of the 1999 murder of his high school ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee.

Despite his release, a lower court reinstated Syed’s conviction, though he was allowed to remain free pending a new hearing to determine whether his release was warranted.

Syed has maintained his innocence throughout the legal process. His attorneys argue that this latest move will ensure a stable custody status until the upcoming hearing.

Adnan Syed goes before Maryland Supreme Court as brother of Hae Min Lee fights for retrial

The Maryland Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday morning in the case of Adnan Syed, who spent more than 20 years in prison fighting charges related to the murder of his high school girlfriend.

Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates is currently deliberating the next steps after the Maryland Supreme Court’s ruling on the case.

The story of Syed’s conviction and the subsequent podcast Serial, which debuted in 2014, raised significant public interest, drawing millions of listeners and fueling questions about the fairness of his trial.

Crime in the DMV Maryland