--- description: Syed was just granted a new trial title: Adnan Syed of 'Serial' Might Fight for Bail image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaf280fea53c39229/69889a5dfb4eaca4d088e27a/gettyimages-508233252.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Adnan Syed of _Serial_ May Seek Bail, Lawyer Says by [Rosalie Chan](/author/rosalie-chan/) ## Rosalie Chan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 1, 2016 3:16 PM CUT  Officials escort "Serial" podcast subject Adnan Syed from the courthouse following the completion of the first day of hearings for a retrial in Baltimore on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016\. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/TNS via Getty Images) Officials escort "Serial" podcast subject Adnan Syed from the courthouse following the completion of the first day of hearings for a retrial in Baltimore on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016\. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/TNS via Getty Images)Baltimore Sun—TNS via Getty Images by [Rosalie Chan](/author/rosalie-chan/) ## Rosalie Chan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 1, 2016 3:16 PM CUT The lawyer for [Adnan Syed](http://time.com/3598572/serial-adnan-syed-npr-family/?iid=sr-link8 "undefined"), the Baltimore convict whose case was featured on the hit podcast [_Serial_](http://time.com/3623553/serial-adnan-syed-interview/?iid=sr-link6 "undefined")_,_ has suggested he may seek bail at his new trial. Syed, now 36, was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999 and sentenced to life in prison in 2000\. On Thursday, a Baltimore circuit court judge ruled that Syed [deserved a new trial](http://time.com/4391012/adnan-syed-serial-brother-trial-sarah-koenig/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined"), saying that his attorney did not cross-examine a cell tower expert about the reliability of the evidence that placed Syed near Lee’s burial site in Baltimore’s Leakin Park. Justin Brown, Syed’s lawyer, said that Syed should be “allowed out on bail,” [_ABC News_ reports](http://abcnews.go.com/US/serial-subject-adnan-syed-fight-bail-lawyer/story?id=40267715 "undefined"). However, he did not confirm that Syed would pursue a bail hearing. The granting of a [new trial for Syed](http://time.com/4205913/adnan-syed-serial-trial-court/?iid=sr-link5 "undefined") follows new evidence presented during a hearing in February, which included a testimony from [Asia McClain Chapman](http://time.com/4207550/alibi-witness-serial-adnan-syed-court/?iid=sr-link4 "undefined"), who said she [spoke with Syed during the time the state claims he killed Lee](http://time.com/3675263/serial-adnan-syed-asia-mcclain/?iid=sr-link10 "undefined"). This evidence was a topic of the [_Serial_](http://time.com/3699333/serial-sarah-koenig-reddit-adnan-syed/?iid=sr-link9 "undefined") podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig, which debuted to major acclaim in 2014\. Brown said the state might try to appeal the judge’s ruling and has 30 days to decide the next steps. \[[_ABC_](http://abcnews.go.com/US/serial-subject-adnan-syed-fight-bail-lawyer/story?id=40267715 "undefined")[ _News_](http://abcnews.go.com/US/serial-subject-adnan-syed-fight-bail-lawyer/story?id=40267715 "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4391207/adnan-syed-bail-new-trial-serial/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4391207/adnan-syed-bail-new-trial-serial/"},"headline":"Adnan Syed of Serial May Seek Bail, Lawyer Says","datePublished":"2016-07-01T15:16:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:33:59.875Z","description":"Syed was just granted a new trial","url":"https://time.com/4391207/adnan-syed-bail-new-trial-serial/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Crime","Courts"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaf280fea53c39229/69889a5dfb4eaca4d088e27a/gettyimages-508233252.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rosalie Chan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/rosalie-chan/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaf280fea53c39229/69889a5dfb4eaca4d088e27a/gettyimages-508233252.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Convicted killer Adnan Syed, subject of âSerialâ podcast, makes case for new trial","caption":"Convicted killer Adnan Syed, subject of âSerialâ podcast, makes case for new trial","creditText":"Baltimore Sun—TNS via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4391207/adnan-syed-bail-new-trial-serial/","name":"Adnan Syed of Serial May Seek Bail, Lawyer Says"}}]}] ```