Page 4 - aruba-today-20220920

A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 20 sepTember 2022
‘Serial’ case: Adnan Syed released, conviction tossed

By BRIAN WITTE Associated weren’t asserting that
Press Syed is innocent, but they
BALTIMORE (AP) — A Bal- lacked confidence “in the
timore judge on Monday integrity of the conviction”
ordered the release of Ad- and recommended he be
nan Syed after overturning released on his own recog-
Syed’s conviction for the nizance or bail. The state’s
1999 murder of Hae Min Lee attorney’s office had said if
a case that was chronicled the motion were granted it
in the hit podcast “Serial.” would effectively put Syed
At the behest of prosecu- in a new trial status, vacat-
tors, Circuit Court Judge ing his convictions, while
Melissa Phinn ordered that the case remained active.
Syed’s conviction be va- Syed was led into the
cated as she approved the crowded courtroom in
release of the now-41-year- handcuffs Monday. Wear-
old who has spent more ing a white shirt with a tie,
than two decades behind he sat next to his attorney.
bars. His mother and other family
Phinn ruled that the state vi- representatives were in the
olated its legal obligation to Adnan Syed enters Courthouse East prior to a hearing on Feb. 3, 2016, in Baltimore. room, as was Mosby.
share evidence that could Associated Press In 2016, a lower court or-
have bolstered Syed’s de- dered a retrial for Syed on
fense. She ordered Syed and raised doubts about able,” assistant state’s at- developed information grounds that his attorney,
to be placed on home de- some of the evidence pros- torney Becky Feldman told regarding two alternative Cristina Gutierrez, who died
tention with GPS location ecutors had used, inspiring the judge as she described suspects, as well as unre- in 2004, didn’t contact an
monitoring. The judge also countless dinner table de- various details from the liable cell phone tower alibi witness and provided
said the state must decide bates about Syed’s inno- case that undermine the data,” State’s Attorney ineffective counsel.
whether to seek a new trial cence or guilt. decades-old conviction, Marilyn Mosby’s office said But after a series of appeals,
date or dismiss the case Last week, prosecutors including flawed cellphone in a news release last week. Maryland’s highest court
within 30 days. filed a motion saying that a data, unreliable witness The suspects were known in 2019 denied a new trial
“All right Mr. Syed, you’re lengthy investigation con- testimony and and a po- persons at the time of the in a 4-3 opinion. The Court
free to join your family,” ducted with the defense tentially biased detective. original investigation, but of Appeals agreed with a
Phinn said as the hearing had uncovered new evi- Syed was serving a life sen- weren’t properly ruled out lower court that Syed’s le-
ended. dence that could under- tence after he was convict- nor disclosed to the de- gal counsel was deficient in
Syed has always main- mine the 2000 conviction ed of strangling 18-year- fense, said prosecutors, failing to investigate an ali-
tained his innocence. His of Syed, Lee’s ex-boyfriend. old Lee, whose body was who declined to release bi witness, but it disagreed
case captured the atten- “I understand how dif- found buried in a Baltimore information about the sus- that the deficiency preju-
tion of millions in 2014 when ficult this is, but we need park. pects, due to the ongoing diced the case. The court
the debut season of “Se- to make sure we hold the The investigation “revealed investigation. said Syed waived his inef-
rial” focused on Lee’s killing correct person account- undisclosed and newly- Prosecutors said they fective counsel claim. q

Rain helps increase containment of huge California wildfire

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — McLean called a mixed now with all the mud that’s Mosquito Fire will increase Sacramento north to Red-
A major storm that bat- blessing for firefighters. out there. And the ground the risk of ash and mud ding, forecasters said. The
tered western Alaska over “It did help a bit to stifle that moisture could cause some flows, the National Weather weather service cautioned
the weekend churned aggressive fire,” McLean of those damaged trees to Service said. To the north- drivers that roads could be
through Northern Califor- said. “But we’re going to fall over.” west, localized flooding slick and commutes could
nia on Monday after bring- have new safety issues Lingering showers over the and mudslides were re- take longer.
ing early-season snow to ported in parts of the Coast Heavy rain fell Sunday
mountains and dropping Range scarred from a mas- across Marin, Napa and So-
rain that helped firefighters sive wildfire two years ago. noma counties north of San
increase their containment Snow and ice in the eastern Francisco, with more than
of a huge wildfire. Sierra Nevada on Sunday an inch (2.5 centimeters)
No growth was reported led officials to close State recorded over 24 hours in
on the 119-square-mile Route 108 high up over the some mountain areas, the
(308-square-kilometer) Sonora Pass, the California National Weather Service
Mosquito Fire in the Sierra Department of Transpor- said. Flood advisories for
Nevada foothills northeast tation said. The pass re- the Bay Area expired early
of Sacramento. The blaze opened Monday. Monday.
was 38% contained Mon- To the north, roads re- Bands of rain stretched
day after downpours al- mained closed at Lassen south into Santa Cruz
lowed sheriff’s officials in Volcanic National Park County and along the
two counties to lift or down- “due to expected snow ac- Central Coast, where High-
grade some evacuation or- cumulation,” but the park’s way 1 was briefly closed
ders. It’s the state’s largest Rain drenches streets in Chinatown in San Francisco, on Sunday, main entrances was open, because of flooding in Big
wildfire of the year so far. Sept. 18, 2022. officials said in a statement. Sur. Precipitation wasn’t ex-
More rain was expected, Associated Press Scattered rain was expect- pected to reach Southern
which fire spokesman Scott ed throughout the day from California.q