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Stephen Ward Paintings and drawings with piano music by Muzio Clementi p...

My Artwork set to fantastic piano music by Muzio Clementi (24 January 1752, Rome -- 10 March 1832, Evesham, Worcestershire, England) was a celebrated composer, pianist, pedagogue, conductor, music publisher, editor, and piano manufacturer. Born in Italy, he spent most of his life in England. He is best known for his piano sonatas, and his collection of piano studies, Gradus ad Parnassum. Nineteenth century enthusiasts lauded Clementi as "the father of the pianoforte", "father of modern piano technique", and "father of Romantic pianistic virtuosity". Encouraged to study music by his father, he was sponsored as a young composer by Sir Peter Beckford, a wealthy Englishman who took him to England to advance his studies. He soon became known as one of the great piano virtuosi, touring Europe numerous times from his long time base in London. It was on one of these occasions in 1781 that he famously engaged in a piano competition with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performed by Alessio Cesaroni. You can download at http://musopen.org/music/piece/859.

Under the Spotlight' Hit man: I pulled trigger, not teen

A Detroit hit man in prison for eight murders said he's willing to publicly take responsibility for four more to help clear a young man who now says he's innocent of the slayings and confessed at age 14 only to satisfy police.

Vincent Smothers' testimony would be the most crucial evidence yet to try to persuade a judge to throw out Davontae Sanford's guilty plea and free him from a nearly 40-year prison sentence. In an interview with the Associated Press, Smothers declared: "He's not guilty. He didn't do it."

Smothers said he never used a 14-year-old accomplice -- blind in one eye and learning disabled -- to carry out his paid hits, mostly victims tied to Detroit's drug trade. There's no dispute that Smothers confessed to the so-called Runyon Street slayings when he was captured in 2008, but prosecutors have never charged him and never explained why.

"I understand what prison life is like; it's miserable. To be here and be innocent -- I don't know what it's like," Smothers said of Sanford, who is now 19. "He's a kid, and I hate for him to do the kind of time they're giving him."

Smothers confessed to a series of murders, including the execution-style shooting of a Detroit officer's estranged wife, for $50. He says he was paid $60,000 over a two-year period. He eventually pleaded guilty to eight slayings and was sentenced to at least 52 years in prison.

Sanford, meanwhile, has been fighting to get out of prison. A Wayne County judge soon is expected to decide whether to throw out his guilty plea to the four killings on Runyon Street in 2007.

Davontae Sanford - Home is getting closer

It’s every man’s business to see justice done.

SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE,

"Free Davontae Sanford, No Justice No Peace"!

Walyer Savage Landor once said "Delay of justice is injustice" his words could of been created and inspired by the Davontae Sanford case, yet this was a statement made long before Davontae was even born. When you acknowledge the awareness and the wisdom of ancestors in seeking Justice, then we must all recognize our failings.
Yet amongst us walk true advocates, people who tirelessly campaign and fight for the rights of others, whose voices scream for Justice in the most dark and cold places on earth, and where on earth does the chill of desperation cry most fiercely and yet unheard? in the Court rooms of Juvenile defendants across the USA on a daily basis.
Davontae may just be one of the very fortunate of the forgotten children, he may be the one who makes it home under the shield of Justice's armor.
Advocates for Abandoned Adolescents and the One child at a time Campaign Scotty Reid Nancy Lockhart Sana Quijada Rose Glenn Knightgale Ann Wright Diamond Kimyon Zari Reletter Johnson-Orr Blacktalkradionetwork & many more supported and backed the fight of Davontae Sanford for many years, Our very own Darcy Delaproser was a the major influence and backbone of the awareness generated to tell Davontae's story to the world.
Endless petitions that went poorly undersigned, requests for letters/cards that were acknowledged seldomly responded to rarely, yet undiscouraged and believing in the rights of a child the war was fought with strength and truth.
Today we are on the verge of witnessing Justice take place, I for one will remember that day as some remember the Death of John Lennon, or other iconic figures, time altering moments, and as we continue to the nearing finish line we say "Free Davontae Sanford, No Justice No Peace"!!