Back in court, on July 17, 2014, U.S. District Judge Joel Slomsky resentenced Hammer to life imprisonment without possibility of parole. Judge Slomsky found multiple circumstances warranting a sentence less than death, including Hammer's acceptance of responsibility and remorsefulness, his extended family history of dysfunction, abuse and mental illness, his mental and emotional impairments, and his self-improvement. Judge Slomsky also identified Hammer's medical diagnoses - “diabetes mellitus, type II blood sugar requiring insulin dependency, diabetic polyneuropathy gradual destruction of nerve sensations, especially in the extremities, diabetic retinopathy of the retina, and/or diabetic macular edema of retinal blood into the vitreous fluid in the eye, blocking vision to the point of legal blindness” - and Hammer's charitable contributions during his 9 years on death row and his correspondence with at-risk children counseling them against engaging in criminal conduct.