Challenging Mass Incarceration Clinic Secures Historic Sentence Modification
In the Press
Challenging Mass Incarceration Clinic Secures Historic Sentence Modification
Four years ago, Connecticut garnered national recognition for its innovative, rehabilitation-focused TRUE Unit at the Cheshire Correctional Institution. Now, one of the unit’s mentors has been granted a second chance, succeeding in winning an unprecedented sentence modification.
On January 15, 2021, Judge David Gold of the Hartford Superior Court announced his decision resentencing Clyde Meikle, a Yale Law School Challenging Mass Incarceration Clinic (CMIC) client, to 28 years from the 50 to which he was originally sentenced for fatally shooting his cousin.
On Friday, December 18, 2020, Meikle and his legal team, led by Clinical Associate Professor of Law Miriam Gohara and five CMIC Yale Law School students, appeared at a hearing in Hartford Superior Court to modify Meikle’s sentence to reflect his record of re
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The state is considering early release for a Hartford man convicted of killing his cousin in 1994.
Attorneys for Clyde Meikle, who is serving 50 years for murdering Clifford Walker with a shotgun, have recommended he get out in 2022 after serving 28 years. The potential release has generated strong feelings from both state officials as well as the victim’s family.
There were several starts and stops during Meikle’s speech in a Dec. 18 sentence modification hearing that was conducted virtually. Through tears, he said he’s as guilty now as he was when he killed Walker.
“The love between my family is still there but my actions makes it unspeakable,” Meikle said.