Adnan Syed, in high school (Via Chicago Public Radio)

The podcast Serial made Adnan Syed a household name as people debated whether he was guilty of murdering his high school girl friend, Hae Min Lee, in 1999. A spinoff podcast uncovered evidence that was used to vacate his conviction and win him a new trial last June.

Now, lawyers for Syed have filed a motion to release him from prison as he waits for the new trial to begin.

“Syed, whose appeal could take years to resolve, respectfully asks that this Court fashion appropriate conditions of pre-trial release,” it says.

The motion, prepared by Brown & Nieto and Hogan Lovells, outlines how Syed is not a flight risk, because he has a “strong personal incentive to prove his innocence” amid a “weak” state case, as well as community ties. It emphasizes that he has no history of violence prior to his arrest at age 17, and during his 17 years behind bars he “has not been cited for a single violent act.”

The family of Hae Min Lee, the murder victim, released a statement after Syed was granted a new trial that criticized the decision.

“We do not speak as often or as loudly as those who support Adnan Syed, but we care just as much about this case,” the statement read. “We continue to grieve. We continue to believe justice was done when Mr. Syed was convicted of killing Hae. While we continue to put our faith in the courts and hope the decision will be reversed, we are very disappointed by the Judge’s decision.”

Motion for Release Pending Appeal by Rachel Kurzius on Scribd