Serial's Adnan Syed finally gets re-trial: Read the judge's order in full

Adnan Syed, whose case was at the centre of Serial season 1, has been granted a re-trial by a Baltimore judge more than 16 years after he was sentenced.

Syed is currently serving life in prison plus 30 years, after being found guilty of the first-degree murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Mi Lee, along with kidnapping, false imprisonment in 2000.

Serial poked many holes in the case against him, which were picked up on in the petition for re-trial.

According to the court order, Judge Martin P. Welch granted the defense’s motion based on Adnan’s original defense attorney failing to cross-examine “the State’s cell tower expert about the reliability of cell tower location evidence.”

Hear's the judge's order in full:

ADNAN SYED, Petitioner, v., STATE OF MARYLAND, Respondent. IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR BALTIMORE CITY CASE NOs. 199103042-046 PETITION NO. 10432

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Upon consideration of Petitioner’s Petition for Post-Conviction Relief; the Maryland Court of Special Appeals May 18, 2015 Remand Order; the evidence and arguments presented at the February 2016 post-conviction hearing; and the reasons set forth in the Memorandum Opinion 11 for the above-captioned case, it is this 30th day of June, 2016,

ORDERED that the record, which has been supplemented with Asia McClain’s January 13; 2015 affidavit and her subsequent testimony, shall be RE-TRANSMITTED to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals for further proceedings; and it is further

ORDERED that the Petition for Post-Conviction Relief as to trial counsel’s alleged ineffective assistance for the failure to contact a potential alibi witness is hereby DENIED; and it is further

ORDERED that the Petition for Post-Conviction Relief as to alleged prosecutorial misconduct of withholding potentially exculpatory evidence related to the reliability of cell tower location evidence is hereby DENIED; and it is further

ORDERED that the Petition for Post-Conviction Relief as to trial counsel’s alleged ineffective assistance for the failure to cross-examine the State’s cell tower expert about the reliability of cell tower location evidence is hereby GRANTED; and it is further

ORDERED that Petitioner’s convictions in the above-captioned case with case nos. 199103042-046 are VACATED; and it is finally

ORDERED that Petitioner’s request for a new trial is hereby GRANTED.

Judge Martin P. Welch