▁an ▁appeal ▁of ▁B ost ic ' s ▁case ▁to ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court . ▁The ▁case ▁received ▁sign atures ▁and ▁statements ▁of ▁support ▁from ▁people ▁including ▁Ken ▁St arr , ▁S ally ▁Y ates , ▁Donald ▁B . ▁Ver r illi ▁Jr ., ▁and ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 ▁current ▁and ▁former ▁jud ges , ▁pro sec utors ▁and ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁officers . ▁Among ▁those ▁campaign ing ▁for ▁his ▁release ▁was ▁Ev ely n ▁Baker . ▁Baker , ▁who ▁retired ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁after ▁a ▁ 2 5 - year ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁judge , ▁states ▁B ost ic ' s ▁sentence ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁one ▁she ▁reg rets ▁giving ; ▁Baker ▁bel ieves ▁a ▁ 3 0 - year ▁sentence ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁appropriate . ▁However ▁then ▁Missouri ▁Att orney ▁General ▁Josh ▁Haw ley ▁def ended ▁B ost ic ' s ▁sentence , ▁saying ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁viol ate ▁the ▁Constitution ' s ▁ban ▁on ▁cruel ▁and ▁unusual ▁pun ishment . ▁In ▁his ▁official ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁appeal , ▁he ▁ur ged ▁the ▁court ▁to ▁u ph old ▁B ost ic ' s ▁sentence . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁rejected ▁B ost ic ' s ▁appeal ▁without ▁giving ▁a ▁reason ▁for ▁doing ▁so . ▁Att orney ▁general ▁of ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia ▁Karl ▁R ac ine ▁subsequently ▁co - w rote ▁an ▁article ▁critic izing ▁the ▁court ' s ▁decision ▁and ▁calling ▁for ▁ju ven ile ▁sentence ▁reform . ▁