How 14th Amendment is Practically Applied

Introduction

Adnan Syed is the subject of the podcast “Serial.” This podcast discusses the murder of Hae Min Lee, for which Syed was convicted. The podcast explores various reasons why Syed should not have been convicted of this crime, regardless of whether he committed it. The primary reason is the lack of substantial evidence. This raises the question, “Why did he get convicted if there was so little evidence?” As briefly touched upon in episode ten, the answer appears to be Islamophobia. However, it is also evident that Syed was not the perfect child his parents believed he was. His actions are the factors that should be scrutinized by juries, not his religion or race. Adnan being a Muslim was a factor in his conviction, but less attention needs to be paid to his religion as a factor of the crime.

The 14th Amendment and Its Application

The 14th Amendment of the Constitution guarantees "equal protection of the laws." A defendant accused of a crime must be judged based on the admissible evidence, not on stereotypes about his background. Adnan was born on U.S. soil to immigrants from Pakistan. However, no matter where his parents came from, he is an American. Unfortunately, the record strongly suggests that the State of Maryland did not treat the defendant as an American when they prosecuted him. We are forced to conclude that he was not tried solely on the evidence but also on his background, culture, and race. In episode ten of “Serial,” the subject of Islamophobia is addressed. It is easy to see why people might think that Adnan being a Muslim was a factor in his conviction. Vicki Walsh, the prosecutor during Adnan’s case, stated during the trial, “Investigation reveals that he can tag resources from Pakistan as well. It’s our position, your honor, that if you issue bail, then you are issuing him a passport under these circumstances to flee the country” (Koenig, 2014). This shows that the prosecution used Adnan’s religion against him. Seeing as how he was convicted, this obviously worked. Adnan was not treated equally as an American should be. Less attention should have been paid to Adnan’s ethnicity so that he could have had a fair trial.

Adnan's Character and Its Role in the Trial

In episode six, Koenig talks to Adnan about the moment he was called by the police about Hae. In this episode, Adnan reveals details about himself that show he wasn’t as perfect as his parents believed. While he may have just been living life as a teenager, it does prove that Adnan has a history of lying to authority figures. Adnan tells Koenig, “I do remember that phone call, and I do remember being high at the time because the craziest thing is to be high and have the police call your phone. I’ll never forget that” (Koenig, 2014). Adnan telling Koenig that he was high is just one of the examples of the truth about Adnan contrasting with the narrative his parents believed. His actions should have been examined more than his race during the trial. Understanding the complex nature of Adnan’s personality and his teenage behavior might have offered a more nuanced perspective of his character, potentially influencing the trial's outcome.

Conclusion

It might be argued that Islamophobia had no standing in the trial, but this is easily seen as not true. The prosecutor specifically says that because he has family from Pakistan, he would be more likely to flee. This shows that the attitude of the prosecutor is specifically anti-Islamic. Adnan’s race had a large role in his conviction, but his actions should have been what was examined by the prosecution. Addressing these biases and focusing on factual evidence would have ensured a more just trial for Adnan Syed.

References:

• Koenig, S. (2014). Serial [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://serialpodcast.org