why didnt adnans lawyer pursue asia

What happened to Adnan Syed?

HBO. In 2014, Adnan Syed 's controversial case became a national sensation when Serial was released—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.

Who was Syed's trial attorney?

His original murder conviction was overturned in June 2016 after a court found that Syed’s trial attorney, Cristina Gutierrez, failed to cross-examine the prosecution’s cell tower expert about the reliability of location data for incoming calls. According to Rolling Stone, the prosecution used two incoming calls to corroborate their witness’s testimony about helping Syed bury Lee’s body hours after the murder.

Why did Roberto Gutierrez defend Syed?

After her son Roberto Gutierrez first listened to Serial —which implies that his mother did not focus on evidence many believe could have kept Syed from being sentenced to life in prison—he defended her in an interview with The Baltimore Sun, noting that she was suffering from health problems like multiple sclerosis and diabetes during the case, which affected her decision-making.

When did Syed get his murder conviction reinstated?

On Friday, March 8 , 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 put money into a trust account?

Later, a commission found that she didn't put client money into a designated trust account. 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.

Did Gutierrez focus on evidence?

Many armchair detectives have come to agree that the late Gutierrez—once considered a top Baltimore criminal defense lawyer—did not focus on the appropriate evidence, and theorize that the case could have gone differently if she had. Here's everything you need to know about Syed's controversial first attorney.

Did Gutierrez contact an alibi witness?

In November, state prosecutor Thiru Vignarajah acknowledged Gutierrez did not contact an alibi witness in Syed's case, but believes the attorney understood what that witness, Asia McClain, told her at the time.

Am I the only one who realized Adnan was guilty the very first time they listened to Serial season 1?

Disclosure: This post will NOT be an exhaustive analysis of the entire case.

Why now do I think Adnan is guilty?

I listened to Serial season 1 when it aired years ago and I was pretty sure Adnan didn’t do it. I followed related podcasts and watched the HBO doc and continued to believe he was innocent. Then I let it go until last month when I decided to re-listen to it. I was shocked after the re-listen b/c I no longer think he is innocent.

Jay getting away with being an accomplice

Does anyone think Jay should have gone to jail for some period of time?

There's no way Jay just happened to have Adnan's car

I don't know how many people are still on the side of Adnan being innocent. It seems like most people here think he's guilty.

Excerpts from the plea agreement

At Defendant's sentencing, the State will make a recommendation regarding the sentence Defendant shall receive based upon the extent of Defendant's cooperation pursuant to this Agreement.

Who was Syed's defense attorney?

Despite McClain, her boyfriend, and another friend possibly being able to provide an alibi, Syed’s defense attorney at the time, Cristina Gutierrez, never followed up on the letter. Syed’s friend Rabia Chaudry, who is featured in the HBO documentary, was the one who discovered Gutierrez didn’t pursue McClain’s letter. McClain was never called to testify in 1999.

When did Adnan Syed murder Hae Min Lee?

Their imaginations ran wild, questioning if Adnan Syed really did murder his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee on January 13, 1999. The podcast fueled an obsession which led to Reddit threads and theories that dissected ...

What did McClain tell Syed about his arrest?

Interestingly, McClain also informs Syed that, “The police have not been notified yet to my knowledge maybe it will give your side of the story a particle head start.”. In a second letter written the following day, McClain told him about how the students and teachers of Woodlawn High School responded to his arrest.

What did McClain say to Syed?

McClain urged Syed to call her in the letter, saying that she believed he could be innocent and that the Woodlawn Public Library’s surveillance system could prove their conversation happened. She wrote, “If you were in the library for awhile tell the police and I’ll continue to tell what I know even louder than I am.

When did Chaudry ask McClain to write an affidavit?

Chaudry asked McClain to write an affidavit, which she did, after Syed was convicted. McClain wrote her first affidavit on March 25, 2000 and her second on January 13, 2015 where she again confirmed that she was with Syed in the library the day Lee disappeared.

Who wrote the letter to Adnan Syed?

But, the key piece of evidence that continues to feeds the speculation was a letter written by Syed’s friend Asia McClain. Now, HBO is revisiting the case again in a four-part documentary series called The Case Against Adnan Syed.

How long was Syed in jail?

Advertisement. On June 6, 2000 Syed was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years for the murder of Lee. He and his supporters still maintain his innocence, including his new lawyer Justin Brown who tweeted on March 8, “We will not give up.”.

Who is Adnan Syed?

Adnan Syed – her former high school classmate, convicted murderer and Serial subject – is getting a new trial, after his conviction was vacated Thursday.

Who is Syed's attorney?

Syed’s attorney, C. Justin Brown, said Thursday he “doesn’t know” when Syed will get his new trial, where Chapman is expected to finally have her chance to testify. (She recently wrote a memoir about her experiences with the case.)

What was the crux of Welch's ruling?

The crux of Welch’s ruling were the cell phone records used to help convict Syed, and his original defense attorney’s failure to cross-examine the state’s cell tower expert. But Welch ordered Chapman’s testimony, during Syed’s February post-conviction hearing and in her 2015 sworn affidavit, be entered into the official court records.

Who granted Syed a new trial?

In his order to grant Syed a new trial, Maryland Judge Martin P. Welch did not agree with Syed’s claim that his original attorney’s failure to investigate Chapman as a potential alibi witness constituted ineffective assistance of counsel – a reason to grant him a new trial.

Did Syed's attorney contact Sarah Koenig?

But Syed’s original defense attorney never contacted Chapman about her claims, which Chapman reiterated in two letters she sent Syed days after his arrest. Chapman only discovered her relevance to his case after Serial creator Sarah Koenig contacted her in 2014.

Did Welch agree with Syed's claim that his original defense attorney’s failure to contact Chapman?

Welch did, however, agree with Syed’s claim that his original defense attorney’s failure to contact Chapman “fell below the standard of reasonable professional judgment.”

Who is Adnan Syed's ex girlfriend?

At around 2:30 p.m., I saw Adnan Syed enter the library. Syed and I had a conversation. We talked about his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee and he seemed extremely calm and caring. He explained that he wanted her to be happy and that he had no ill will towards her. 9.

Who is Asia McClain?

Asia McClain, a key witness in the case of convicted murder Adnan Syed has filed a new affidavit claiming she was encouraged not to participate in Syed’s appeal. The story of Syed, who was convicted in 2000 of murdering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in Baltimore, was chronicled in the hit podcast “Serial.”. While the show accumulated millions of ...

What court did Syed appeal to?

Syed recently appealed to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to overturn the circuit court’s denial of “post conviction relief.” The state of Maryland, who originally prosecuted him, has requested that the appeals court deny his application.

Did McClain testify in Syed's trial?

13, 1999, at the time Lee was killed. This potential alibi was given top billing as the subject of the series’ first episode. But Koenig reported that McClain never testified in Syed’s trial because his defense attorney never contacted her. According to The Blaze, McClain stands by these events ...

Who said McClain told him she was pressured by Syed’s family to write the original affi?

Urick, who said on “Serial” that McClain told him she was pressured by Syed’s family to write the original affidavit, denied this exchange to The Blaze.

Was the affidavit accurate?

The affidavit was entirely accurate to the best of my recolle ction and I gave it by my own free will. I was not pressured into writing it. 22.