Two prominent criminal defense organizations have moved for leave to file an amicus curiae brief on behalf of Adnan Syed, urging the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to deny the State’s appeal and push the case forward toward a new trial.

The brief, drafted by Steven Klepper of Kramon & Graham in Baltimore, does not take a side on Syed’s guilt or innocence but notes that “[t]he only satisfactory way to resolve the debate between the believers and doubters is through a retrial.”

“A prompt retrial, with all witnesses still available, is the best way for the judiciary to remove any cloud over its processes,” Klepper writes.

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association (MCDAA) submitted the brief as “friends of the court.”

Here is the submission: AMICUS BRIEF