Sitting With Adnan
I recently spent the better part of five days sitting next to Adnan Syed. I had known him for about seven years, but this was the most time we had ever spent together. He was shackled in a four-point restraint so he could barely move. It must have been very uncomfortable. If it had been…
Justin Brown named “50 Most Influential Marylander”
C. Justin Brown was named as one of the the 50 most influential Marylanders for 2016. The winners were selected by the Maryland Daily Record editorial board. In the past year Mr. Brown has litigated some the state’s most important criminal matters, including an allegation of misconduct by the Maryland Transportation Authority K-9 unit; the Baltimore…
Final (?) Scheduling Order for Syed
Here is the Court’s latest Scheduling Order with the new dates of Feb. 3, 4 & 5 for the Adnan Syed post-conviction hearing: Syed cheduling Order 01-15-16….
Can Syed’s hearing be broadcast?
We have received many inquiries about whether Adnan Syed’s re-opened post-conviction hearing — currently scheduled for Feb. 4 and Feb. 5 — will be televised or broadcast in any form. Initially we were dismissive of the possibility. Now we’re not so sure. Maryland has a law that prohibits the broadcast of criminal proceedings. The statute,…
Court Dates Set For Syed Hearing
The Baltimore City Circuit Court has issued a scheduling order setting the dates for Adnan Syed’s re-opened post-conviction proceedings. Here is the Order: Welch scheduling Order…
Acquittal in 22-count Indictment for Attempted 1st Degree Murder
On November 2, 2015, Delonte Epps, a client of the firm, was acquitted of all 22 counts in three indictments after a 5-day jury trial in Baltimore City Circuit Court. The State Attorney’s Office alleged that Mr. Epps was responsible for repeatedly firing a gun into a car occupied by 3 men, wounding one significantly….
Syed’s Motion to Re-Open GRANTED
Syed’s Motion to Re-Open Post-Conviction proceedings was granted today. Syed will be allowed to introduce evidence related to the alibi and the cell tower issue. The hearing date has yet to be determined. Here is the link to Judge Welch’s Order:…
State Files Consolidated Syed Response
The State has filed its response to Syed’s Motion to Reopen Postconviction Proceedings: State’s Consolidated Response. Here are the State’s Exhibits:…
Syed Files Reply Brief — Upload Here
Adnan Syed today filed his Reply brief in his Motion to Re-Open Post-Conviction Proceedings in the Circuit Court of Baltimore City. The brief: Exhibits:…
Syed Files Supplement Re: CELL TOWER EVIDENCE
Here is today’s filing regarding cell tower evidence: Supp. to Mot. to Reopen FINAL And here is Exhibit 1: Exhibit 1 (AT&T fax) 404…
Brian Parker Cleared of Federal Charges
Brian Parker, a client of the Firm, was cleared today of all federal charges against him. Federal prosecutors had alleged that Parker was a leader of a Cherry Hill drug conspiracy. But yesterday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office agreed to drop all charges against him, and a motion to dismiss was granted today by a federal…
Baltimore City Jail: Worse Than Ever
More than two years have passed since federal prosecutors handed down a massive indictment charging gang members and correctional officers with operating a drug conspiracy inside the Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC). The story gained national media attention and the U.S. Attorney’s Office trumpeted its success in getting convictions of all but a few of…
Stingray: Next Frontier in Fourth Amendment Law
Read the Firm’s cover story in The Champion magazine about Stingray technology, the latest frontier in Fourth Amendment law: STINGRAY ARTICLE…
Supreme Court Strikes Down Part of Armed Career Criminal Act
Lost in the excitement over the Supreme Court’s blockbuster decisions last week was a significant, albeit technical, case dealing with federal sentencing under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA). The ruling should help a significant number of federal defendants who are serving harsh mandatory sentences. These people may be entitled to substantial sentence reductions. In…
Syed Files Motion to Re-Open Post-Conviction
Today we filed Syed’s Motion to Re-Open Post-Conviction. This is in response to the Remand Order issued by the Court of Special Appeals on May 18, 2015. Here is a link to the filing: Motion-to-Reopen-As-Filed-w-Exs.-optimized…
Firm Wins 97-month Sentence Reduction
The Law Office of C. Justin Brown this week obtained a sentence reduction of 97 months for a federal inmate. Sentence reductions of this magnitude are rarely seen in federal court. The client was convicted on drug charges in 2007 following a four-day jury trial. He was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison….
Appeals Court’s Order / Remand
Here is today’s Order from the Court of Special Appeals in the Syed case: Remand Order…
Syed Oral Arguments FAQs
Oral arguments in the Syed case are set for the morning of June 9. I have been receiving a lot of questions about how the appeal will proceed. Here are the answers, as best as I can give: Q: Is the hearing open to the public? A: Yes. However, there is limited seating capacity. As…
Syed: Against All Odds
We recently came across some statistics regarding how frequently the Maryland Court of Special Appeals grants an Application for Leave to Appeal (ALA). As you recall, Adnan Syed, after losing his post-conviction proceeding, filed an ALA. Essentially, in the ALA, Syed asked the Court for permission to file an appeal. This was necessary because a…
