Tasteful spray paint art is a sight to behold. In the skillful hands of visionaries who see entire cities as canvases, simple spray cans can breathe life and color into barren buildings, creating unlikely masterpieces out of brick and mortar. Sadly, there is a darker, criminal side to this unique, transformational form of art. When [...]

Over the last month, Catanzaro Law has explored clemency and its various manifestations in the U.S. legal system. Pardons, commutations, and reprieves have all been used throughout U.S. history to grant some level of leniency to criminals ready for reform. But what do these processes look like to the layperson? How can a criminal apply [...]

Human law is subject to the flaws of human reason, and practitioners of law, no matter how experienced, make mistakes. When a hasty trial or a questionable verdict is passed, it is sometimes possible for a defendant to appeal for clemency in the form of a reprieve. Particularly popularized for postponing the dates of death [...]

The tension between constructive and destructive punishment is an ever present reality in the legal system. Is the aim to condemn and punish poor behavior with no intention of reform, or to guide lawbreakers into a redemptive, productive future? At its best, clemency is an effort to tip the scales in the latter direction, aimed [...]

For a country with such an intricate system of checks and balances designed to neutralize undue power, the existence of an executive pardon power may seem odd; it may even seem archaic. But things aren’t always what they seem, and there’s more to this fascinating form of clemency than first meets the eye. Curious about [...]

Murder was once an intimate act, requiring cold commitment and a concerted effort. Whether it was the twist of a knife, the thrust of a sword, or the loosing of an arrow, there was little to no disconnect between assailant and victim. As such, murder was far more infrequent than it is today. However, with [...]

Immeasurable amounts of time, money and effort have been poured into the creation and implementation of laws at the city, state and federal levels. In legal matters, there’s truly nothing that hasn’t been considered; the severity of punishment for a crime is anything but arbitrary. However, there will always be controversy surrounding criminal matters, their [...]

The voluntary, unlawful taking of a human life is considered to be among the most heinous of crimes. While countless films, tv shows, news stories and videogames have desensitized the populace to murder and other criminal forms of homicide, the genuine article is as tragic and terrible as it ever was. Though different states often [...]

When you hear the word terrorist, you likely picture sinister forces that impinge upon our national security. Further popularized by thrilling suspense novels and movies, terrorists have become synonymous with shadowy, menacing figures from foreign soil, threatening the U.S. on grounds of radical religious fervor. But actual terrorism is far more common, domestic and realistically [...]