HBO Adnan Syed
HBO is releasing a four-part documentary about Adnan Syed called The Case Against Adnan Syed. But we never actually see him on camera in the documentary. Why not?
Amy Berg, the director, told Vulture that she got access to film him, and then the access was revoked. She said she was given access to film him in prison, but then that access was taken away just three days before they were supposed to start.
The access was canceled by the State’s Attorney – the prosecutor, she explained. “I just spoke to him (Syed) last night,” she said, adding that she had met him a few times.
When she met him, she said she could tell that he was spiritual and earnest. She said he’s patient and expects the process to work, but he’s not expecting anything to happen quickly.
Last July, Rolling Stone shared that it had been two years since Adnan Syed was granted a new trial and his old conviction was overturned. But his case was still in limbo. Maryland’s highest court agreed to hear the state’s appeal and attempt to reinstate his conviction, which had been overturned in June 2016. This was after Asia McClain testified in February 2016 that she was with Syed at the Woodlawn Public Library during the time prosecutors said he was killing Hae Min Lee. Rolling Stone shared that oral arguments would be heard by the Court of Appeals in November or December 2018, and a final decision was to be relayed no later than August 31, 2019.
In January 2019, the Brown Law website said that Syed filed a brief with the Maryland Court of Appeals, alerting them to a pertinent case in an Alabam court. They added that oral arguments for Syed’s desire for a new case based on ineffective assistance of counsel were heard on November 29, 2018. They were waiting for the Court of Appeals to decide if he’ll be granted this new trial. Unfortunately, there was no timetable for determining when this will happen.
But by February 2019, People reported that the decision to overturn Syed’s conviction was upheld and he would indeed get a new trial. But he will remain in jail, awaiting that trial. Bail was denied.
So not only was he denied bail, but he wasn’t allowed to appear on camera for the documentary either. Here’s what he looks like today.
#Serial‘s Adnan Syed has been granted a new trial: t.co/5Bem2zuRwp
The news about Syed doesn’t end there, however. On Friday, March 8, the appeals court decided, on the basis of another appeal by the prosecution, that his conviction would stand. His lawyer wrote:
We will not give up. #FreeAdnan
And his lawyer released this statement:
We are devastated by the Court of Appeals’ decision but we will not give up on Adnan Syed.
Unfortunately we live in a binary criminal justice system in which you either win or you lose. Today we lost by a 4-3 vote.
Our criminal justice system is desperately in need of reform. The obstacles to getting a new trial are simply too great.
There was a credible alibi witness who was with Adnan at the precise time of the murder and now the Court of Appeals has said that witness would not have affected the outcome of the proceeding. We think just the opposite is true. From the perspective of the defendant, there is no stronger evidence than an alibi witness.
If you’re interested in watching the November appeals hearing for his case, here it is below.
Unfortunately, we’ll hear Syed but won’t actually see him in the documentary.