Adnan Syed case pits victims’ rights against justice reform

BALTIMORE — When Baltimore prosecutors asked to vacate Adnan Syed’s murder conviction and have him freed after 23 years behind bars, their request exemplified a growing movement within the American criminal justice system to acknowledge and correct past mistakes, including police misconduct and prosecutorial missteps. The Appellate Court of Maryland’s 2-1 decision reinstated Syed’s conviction, creating yet another unexpected wrinkle in the protracted legal odyssey chronicled in the hit podcast “Serial.” The court ordered a redo of the September hearing that won Syed his release, finding that the victim’s family didn’t receive adequate notice to attend in person, which violated their right to be “treated with dignity and respect.” Syed will appeal the decision to the state’s highest court, his attorney said Tuesday. “The victims’ rights movement is a very powerful lobby that wants a reserve seat at the head of the criminal justice table,” said Doug Colbert, a University of Maryland law professor who represented Syed at his initial bail hearing decades ago. “This decision is an important milestone, signaling that crime victims’ rights are becoming an enforceable part of our nation’s criminal justice architecture,” he said.