Syed arriving at his new hearing.
Photo: Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun/AP
Adnan Syed’s long campaign for a new trial reached another stage on Tuesday with the start of a hearing related to his 2000 conviction for the murder of ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee — Syed’s first day in court since the first season of Serial made his case a flash point for discussions on racism, memory, and prosecutorial misconduct. The three-day hearing will examine evidence familiar to Serial listeners, including the decision of Syed’s original attorney, the late Cristina Gutierrez, not to investigate potential alibi witness Asia McClain. The hearing is expected to see McClain take the stand for the first time, as well as shed more light on the cell-tower data that was used to convict Syed.
