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Elkram t1_je39xw1 wrote

Reply to comment by CrabEnthusist in Maryland’s second-highest court orders new hearing for Adnan Syed, reinstates conviction by Cody_in_Baltimore

I personally am not a fan of victim's rights.

I get that the victim feels entitled to some form of justice, but ultimately they aren't the ones trying the case, the state is. And even in a case where the victim has no rights, it isn't like they'd have no voice. In sentencing, judges allow impact statements almost entirely from the victims of the crime. The judge can use those impact statements to inform the sentence.

I just wouldn't want to be in a situation like we're in, where one person's innocence or guilt is hinging on how the victim's family feels about it and not necessarily about whether the evidence was sufficient to convict.

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capitalsfan t1_je4r82d wrote

No one's guilt or innocence ever hinges on the judgement of the victim's family, that is an absurd notion. They have a fundamental right to be at this hearing regardless of whether or not they have an affect on the outcome.

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DudleyAndStephens t1_jeahn08 wrote

> I just wouldn't want to be in a situation like we're in, where one person's innocence or guilt is hinging on how the victim's family feels about it

That's not what victim's rights laws mean at all.

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[deleted] t1_je3aup8 wrote

Victims rights are fine, but they should absolutely be subordinate to Adnan's right to freedom.

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