一男子因偷几块巧克力就要面临20年监禁?

A 34-year-old man is now facing the prospect of life in prison after allegedly being caught stuffing $31 of chocolate bars into his pockets in a US convenience store.

近日，一名34岁的男子在美国一家便利店里将价值31美元的巧克力棒直接塞进自己口袋被抓之后，他将面临着进入监狱坐牢的审判。

New Orleans resident Jacobia Grimes faces the life sentence after being charged under the Louisiana state's habitual-offender law, which considers past offences. Grimes is a "quad" offender under the habitual-offender law following five previous convictions.

这位面临终身监禁的居民名叫雅可比·格兰姆斯，来自新奥尔良。考虑到他之前的罪行，路易斯安那州根据惯犯法下达了判决。根据当地的惯犯法，格兰姆斯已经是"四次案犯"，加上本次，他已经五次犯下罪行。

According to his lawyer, those five previous convictions totalled less than $500 for incidents at Rite-Aid, Sav-A-Center, Blockbuster Video and Rouses stores.

根据他的律师所说，包括在来爱德公司、SAV-A中心，百视通视频和Rouses连锁商店所犯的五次前科犯罪总额共低于500美元。

"I just think it points to the absurdity of the multiple billing statute. They're spending their time to lock someone up for years over $31 worth of candy. It's ridiculous," attorney Miles Swanson said.

律师万里·斯旺森说："我只是认为按照次数定罪的法令很荒诞。他们把时间花在关押一个只拿了价值31美元的人。真是太可笑了。"

In the most recent of the convictions, Swanson said Grimes accepted a four-year jail sentence as a double offender after being caught stealing a Dollar General store of a pair of socks and trousers.

在最近的犯案中，斯旺森表示，格兰姆斯曾作为二次案犯坐了四年牢，只因为他在达乐公司偷了一双袜子和一条裤子。

"It's unconscionably excessive to threaten someone with 20 years to life for candy," said Grimes's other attorney Michael Kennedy. "But the District Attorney is following the law as it's written. The DA certainly had a choice. I may not agree with the choice they made, but they didn't do anything improper."

另一个格兰姆斯的律师迈克尔·肯尼迪也说道："因为偷了点糖果就要判决20年的牢狱，真的是不合情理，也太过了。但是地方检察官确实是根据成文法执行的。地方检察官当然要有抉择。我可能不同意他们的判决，但他们所做的没有任何不妥之处。"