This New Orleans man could face life in prison for stealing candy

A New Orleans man named Jacobia Grimes will be sentenced to 20 years to life in prison if he's convicted of stealing just $31 worth of candy bars from a Dollar General.

A repeat shoplifter, Grimes was accosted by the store manager and emptied his pockets of the candy before he was arrested. But because Grimes has been previously convicted five times for theft of items like socks and pants, the district attorney's office chose to charge him under a habitual offender statute that boosts the candy incident to a felony. That, combined with Grimes' prior convictions, kicks in the extreme sentencing mandate.

Criminal District Court Judge Franz Zibilich expressed shock at Grimes' situation in an arraignment hearing on Thursday. "Isn't this a little over the top?" Zibilich asked, adding, "It's not even funny. Twenty years to life for a Snickers bar." Because the habitual offender law makes 20 years the mandatory minimum sentence for Grimes' offense, Zibilich or any other judge on his case will not be allowed to adjust the sentence to fit the circumstances.

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