What Happened to a Second Chance for Bobby Bostic?

• Author: Bobby Bostic
• DOI: 10.1177/10439862221096723
• Published date: 01 May 2022
• Date: 01 May 2022

https://doi.org/10.1177/10439862221096723

Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice

2022, Vol. 38(2) 211 –212

© The Author(s) 2022

Article reuse guidelines:

sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI: 10.1177/10439862221096723

journals.sagepub.com/home/ccj

Essay

What Happened to a Second

Chance for Bobby Bostic?

By Bobby Bostic

We all know that kids are not perfect. In fact, they are constantly making mistakes late

into their adolescent years as they try to find their identity. There are some kids who

succumb to crime that is ever present in their crime prone neighborhoods. Bobby

Bostic is one such kid. At 16 years old he committed a terrible crime. On December

12, 1995, there were five people who were on a charity mission to poverty-stricken

children in the poor neighborhood where he lived. Bobby and an older friend did not

know why these unknown people were in the vicinity of this neighborhood.

Nevertheless, he and his friend decided to rob these people.

During the course of this robbery two males were shot but not seriously injured.

Neither victim required medical attention. They walked away from the crime scene

and went to work the next day. Bobby and his friend only robbed the two males in the

crowd. They attempted to rob the three females but did not get anything from them.

Under Missouri law, Bobby Bostic was charged with fourteen felony counts (two first

degree robbery, two first degree assaults, three attempted robbery, seven counts of

armed criminal action). Approximately 45 minutes later and eight city blocks away,

Bobby and his friend robbed another victim who was outside her car gathering gifts

she was giving to a needy family. Not knowing what she was doing, Bobby and his

friend robbed her at gunpoint. They put her back into her vehicle and drove her around

demanding money. Thereafter, they released her and took her vehicle. They were

arrested while driving her vehicle. Bobby was charged with three more felonies from

this incident (first degree robbery, kidnapping and armed criminal action). He also had

marijuana on him, another felony.

In January 1997, Bobby was ready to stand trial. Already the state had offered him

a plea bargain of life with the possibility of parole. Right before his trial he was offered

an open plea bargain which means the defendant just pleads guilty at the mercy of the

court with no promises, leaving his fate in the hands of the judge to sentence him to

the maximum or the minimum. The absolute minimum in this case would have been

10 years with all sentences running concurrently. The maximum would have been 13

life sentences plus 30 years.

Not really understanding the serious trouble Bobby was in, Bobby chose to go to a

jury trial where he was found guilty on all charges. The jury recommended 30 years

1096723CCJXXX10.1177/10439862221096723Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice

other2022