BALTIMORE — With the murder charges against him dropped, Adnan Syed may pursue a declaration of innocence that carries a potential $2.2 million payout from the state of Maryland.
Three weeks after a Baltimore judge overturned Syed’s conviction in the 1999 killing of former high school girlfriend Hae Min Lee, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby suddenly announced Oct. 11 that her office had dropped all charges because of newly tested DNA evidence.
Mosby said the next step is for Syed’s attorney to seek to have his innocence certified by an administrative law judge. If that’s approved, he would be eligible for significant financial, educational and health care benefits in compensation for being incarcerated for 23 years.
