Adnan Syed: Baltimore Circuit Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer assigned to the case

Currently the judge who once presided over the Adnan Syed case oversaw the prosecution of the star witness against him He worked for the state attorney’s office in Baltimore County for more than 15 years.

In 2001, Baltimore Circuit Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer, whose last name was Rains at the time, was working as an assistant state attorney while supervising a student attorney prosecuting Jay Wilds on charges of marijuana possession and driving with a suspended license.

This was the same Jay Wilds who previously served as a key witness for the state against Syed, who was on trial in the murder of his ex-girlfriend and classmate Hae Min Lee at Woodlawn High School.

Wilds testified that Syed helped bury him in Leakin Park in Baltimore. His body was found on February 9, 1999. He was 18 years old.

Syed was convicted in 2000 in Baltimore District Court of first-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping and false imprisonment and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years in prison. He always maintained his innocence and was prosecuted international interest With the launch of the podcast in 2014 “Sherry.”

Schiffer brought up his interest in the case during a status conference held via Zoom on Friday. The purpose of the hearing was to get an update on what has happened since the Maryland Supreme Court this summer. Syed’s conviction was reinstated.

Syed, now 43, is free pending a new hearing in the case and joined the Zoom call.

Schiffer said he asked the law clerk to find some exhibits in preparation for court proceedings.

That’s when he said the law clerk found a transcript from Wilds’ drug possession case in the file. Schiffer said he had “absolutely no recollection” of that hearing, which he said took place more than 23 years ago.

“I’m telling you all this just because I want you to be aware, and if there is a suggestion that I step back, I will certainly keep an open mind and consider any suggestions,” Schiffer said. “But I still don’t think it had anything to do with these transactions, and I didn’t remember anything before he found it.”

Wilds was granted probation before sentencing after his attorney, Anne Benaroya, stated he had no criminal record. However, Wilds pleaded guilty to accessory to murder after the incident and was sentenced to two years probation.

Brian Zavin, lead attorney for the Maryland Public Defenders Appellate Division and one of Syed’s attorneys, said the defense team did not have enough time to discuss the matter with their client.

“We appreciate Judge Schiffer bringing to the attention of the parties and victim representatives his previous role as prosecutor in Jay Wilds’ subsequent Baltimore County possession case,” said Deputy Public Defender Erica Suter, one of Syed’s attorneys and director of the Innocence Project Clinic. In a statement from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

“We are reviewing this information with our customer to determine whether any action is necessary.”

Last week’s hearing It did not appear on the Maryland Judicial Case Search nor did it appear on the Baltimore Circuit Court’s daily court calendar.

Schiffer has been on the bench since 2017 and has presided over a number of high-profile cases, including that of a teenager. found guilty for premeditated murder and related crimes fatally shooting a man who confronted a group of squeegee workers with a baseball bat near the Inner Harbor in 2022.

There have been a number of twists and turns since “Serial” re-examined the case against Syed and raised new questions about his guilt.

Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office in 2022 presented a motion to annul Syed’s convictions, declaring that an almost year-long investigation was ongoing. clarified He said prosecutors withheld exculpatory evidence and uncovered information about two possible alternative suspects.

Prosecutors also brought up the inconsistencies in Wilds’ statements and noted that they could not rely solely on his testimony.

Circuit Judge Melissa M. Phinn accepted the request and ordered Syed’s immediate release from prison. However, Hae Min Lee’s sister Young Lee’s lawyer, Steve Kelly, said: appealed He requested the decision from the court Put the case on hold.

Then-state prosecutor Marilyn Mosby dropped the charges, citing the results of new DNA testing on various items. It excluded Syed as a contributor.

One 2-1 decision, Maryland Court of Appeals in 2023 reigned It was stated that Young Lee’s reporting and participation rights were violated and action was taken to reinstate Syed’s convictions. Maryland Supreme Court this year approved this decision One 4-3 opinions and ordered a new trial before a different judge.

When Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates first ran for office in 2018 He told Rolling Stone He said he would drop the charges if elected.

Bates, a Democrat, also participated in the HBO documentary series, “The Case Against Adnan Syed.”

“Justice should mean we do what is right. And if we get it wrong, we rush in and fix it,” Bates said in the documentary. “And to me, that’s a perfect example of, ‘They got it wrong.'”

It was Bates was successful in his second campaign for the state attorney and He took office in 2023.

Assistant State’s Attorney Clara Salzberg, head of the Post-Conviction Litigation Unit, requested an additional 90 days to review the case and determine next steps.

Schiffer gave prosecutors until Feb. 28 to provide new information in the case.