BALTIMORE _ Attorneys for the state of Maryland and Adnan Syed, whose case was popularized in the "Serial" podcast, will return to court June 8 to argue whether Syed should receive a new trial.
The hearing date was announced Wednesday by the Maryland Judiciary. It follows an order by Court of Special Appeals Chief Judge Peter B. Krauser in January that the court would hear arguments in the state's appeal of an order granting Syed a new trial.
The court will not make a decision on June 8. It will issue a written opinion at a later date. That ruling could then be appealed to the Court of Appeals, the state's highest court.
Syed was convicted of murdering ex-girlfriend and Woodlawn High School classmate Hae Min Lee in 2000 and sentenced to life in prison.
The case was the focus of "Serial," the most downloaded podcast of all time, which raised questions about his conviction and evidence in the case.
A judge overturned Syed's conviction last June and ordered a new trial on the grounds that his past legal team should have raised questions about cellphone tower evidence.
The state attorney general's office argued against a new trial, and filed an appeal in early August. Syed's attorneys then filed a conditional appeal, arguing that they should also be able to raise issues if the state's appeal was taken up.
Syed remains in prison and will not be present at the upcoming hearing, the news release said. No witness testimony will be presented.
