who was adnan syed original lawyer

by Vivien Walter 8 min read

Cristina Gutierrez

Who is Adnan Syed and what did he do?

Adnan Syed is a Muslim-American man who was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999.

What happened to Adnan Syed's first attorney Cristina Gutierrez?

What Happened To Adnan Syed's First Attorney, Cristina Gutierrez? Adnan Syed might not be getting a new trial, but even the courts agree Cristina Gutierrez didn't give him effective legal counsel. Oxygen Insider Exclusive! Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more!

What's new in Adnan Syed's case?

(CNN) A Baltimore County Circuit Court judge has ordered new DNA testing in the case of Adnan Syed, whose murder conviction was the subject of the hugely popular first season of the "Serial" podcast.

Was Adnan Syed coached by Baltimore Police?

Since Syed's conviction, Wilds has changed his story multiple times, and recent analysis of Wilds' police interviews suggest he had been heavily coached by the Baltimore police. Adnan Syed following the completion of the first day of hearings for a retrial in Baltimore on February 3, 2016.

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Who was Adnan Syed's lawyer?

Cristina GutierrezSyed's original lawyer, Cristina Gutierrez, did not interview McClain or call her to the stand during his original trial.

Who is Jay serial?

Jay Wilds, the main witness in a case that put then-18-year-old Adnan Syed into jail for the murder of his ex girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999, has done an interview with The Intercept and changed his story.

Why did Jay Wilds not go to jail?

He did not go to prison, though. For his testimony, Wilds was given probation instead of a jail sentence for his said involvement in the crime. Syed's case has been publicized in the podcast Serial, as well as the HBO true crime documentary The Case Against Adnan Syed.

Who is Mr S in Serial?

worker Alonzo SellersMaintenance worker Alonzo Sellers, known as “Mr. S” on Serial, claimed he was drinking a 22-ounce Budweiser while driving when he made a pit stop. “I had to go to the bathroom so I pulled over and I went further in the woods so no one could see me,” he said on The Case Against Adnan Syed.

What happened to Adnan Syed?

In 2014, Adnan Syed 's controversial case became a national sensation when Serial was released-some fourteen years after he was convicted of murdering his girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, and sentenced to life in prison. His story is now being re-examined in HBO's The Case Against Adnan Syed, which picks up where the immensely popular 2014 podcast left off.

When did Syed get his murder conviction reinstated?

On Friday, 8 March , Syed's murder conviction was reinstated by the Maryland Court of Appeals. The court reinstated Syed’s conviction Friday, agreeing that while his defense was deficient, it “did not prejudice” the case. He will not get a new trial.

Did Gutierrez sign a disbarment?

Gutierrez was reportedly "disbarred by consent" in May 2001, and none of the negligent client claims were investigated because she willingly signed the disbarment. That was a year after she represented Syed.

When did the case against Adnan Syed air?

Now, HBO’s four-part docuseries “The Case Against Adnan Syed” which premiered on March 10, two days after Syed's conviction was upheld, picks up right where “Serial” left off. Much like the podcast, the Amy Berg-directed film also reexamines Gutierrez's role in Syed's original conviction.

Who defended everyone from allegedly corrupt city officials to accused kid killers to serial child molesters to teachers

Gutierrez defended everyone from allegedly corrupt city officials to accused kid killers to serial child molesters to teachers charged with sexually assaulting their students. “ [Gutierrez] had a tremendous reputation,” Petit told Oxygen.com.

Did Gutierrez mishandle his case?

Syed has long maintained that Gutierrez mishandled his case over her failure to investigate his alibi Asia McClain, who claimed she saw Syed in her high school library at the time of the murder. Syed claimed Gutierrez told him at the time that she had investigated the alibi, but “nothing came of it.”.

Did Gutierrez cross-examine the prosecution?

Syed’s attorneys also allege Gutierrez didn’t cross-examine the prosecution’s cell phone tower expert, who placed him at the crime scene using cell phone tower records, which Syed's team now argues is unreliable evidence.

Did Syed waive his right to a new trial?

The court also ruled Syed waived his right to raise the ineffective counsel claim. The decision reverses a 2018 ruling from a lower court, which granted Syed the right to a new trial over Gutierrez's alleged missteps.

Is Adnan Syed getting a new trial?

Adnan Syed might not be getting a new trial, but even the courts agree Cristina Gutierrez didn't give him effective legal counsel. Oxygen Insider Exclusive! Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!

Who was Syed's lawyer?

Syed claimed that his attorney at the time, Cristina Gutierrez, did not look into an alibi witness, Asia McClain, who said she was with Syed at Woodlawn High School's library at the time of the murder. In addition to McClain, Syed's appeals lawyer also brought into consideration the unreliability of the cell tower records evidence from ...

Who is the advocate of Adnan Syed?

His advocate, family friend and lawyer Rabia Chaudry, launched her own podcast entitled "Undisclosed: The State vs. Adnan Syed" and also published a book Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial (2016).

When will Syed be retried?

In June 2016 Syed was granted a retrial by a Baltimore city circuit court judge, and in March 2018 the Maryland Court of Special Appeals upheld that decision. However, on March 8, 2019, the Maryland Court of Appeals denied Syed a new trial.

What is the HBO documentary about Adnan Syed?

In March 2019, HBO also launched a four-part documentary entitled The Case Against Ad nan Syed, based on the case's evolution since its broadcast on "Serial.".

Did Adnan Syed get coached?

Since Syed's conviction, Wilds has changed his story multiple times, and recent analysis of Wilds' police interviews suggest he had been heavily coached by the Baltimore police. Adnan Syed following the completion of the first day of hearings for a retrial in Baltimore on February 3, 2016.

Who is Adnan Syed?

Adnan Syed is a Muslim-American man who was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999. His case became internationally famous by the podcast "Serial" in 2014.

Who did Syed and Lee date?

After they broke up, Lee began to date a man named Don, who worked with her at a local LensCrafters.

Who was Syed's classmate?

McClain, a high school classmate of Syed’s, testified at his 2016 post-conviction hearing that she was in the library with Syed after school during the time prosecutors said he killed Lee at 2:36 p.m. Shortly after Syed’s arrest, McClain wrote Syed two letters reminding him about their time that day.

What is the book Adnan's Story about?

She now has written a book, Adnan’s Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial, in which she questions the innocence of Don Clinedinst, Lee’s boyfriend at the time of her death, and lays out new details that she believes exonerate Syed.

Did Syed dump soil in Lee's car?

Wilds testified that after he and Syed buried Lee, Syed drove Lee’s car from the park to a nearby street and dumped it. Yet no soil from Leakin Park was ever found in or on Lee’s car in tests conducted by the Baltimore Police crime lab, Chaudry tells PEOPLE. • Lack of DNA and Other Non-Circumstantial Evidence.

Who is the prosecutor for Adnan Syed?

Maryland State Prosecutor Kevin Urick once called the Adnan Syed murder trial "pretty much a run-of-the-mill domestic violence murder.". But his own work in the case suggests it's much more complex than that. Oxygen Insider Exclusive! Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more! ...

What was Syed's hearing called?

In 2012, Syed had a hearing for what is called “post-conviction relief.”. His new attorney at the time had filed an appeal based on McClain’s affidavit, but Urick disclosed during the hearing that McClain had called him about her initial sworn statement.

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Who Is Adnan Syed?

Relationship with Hae Min Lee

Hae Min Lee's Murder

Arrest, Trial and Conviction

Appeals

Adnan Syed in The Media

  • Thanks to the worldwide popularity of "Serial," Syed's case has captured public interest and spawned a plethora of media projects. His advocate, family friend and lawyer Rabia Chaudry, launched her own podcast entitled "Undisclosed: The State vs. Adnan Syed" and also published a book Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial(2016...
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