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Simple English definitions for legal terms
repeat offender
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A quick definition of repeat offender:
A repeat offender is someone who has committed a crime more than once. This person has been convicted of a crime before and has done it again. They may face harsher punishment because they have a history of breaking the law. A first-time offender is someone who has never been convicted of a crime before. They may be treated more leniently in court.
A more thorough explanation:
A repeat offender is a person who has committed a crime more than once. This person has been convicted of a crime in the past and has committed another crime again.
For example, if someone has been caught stealing multiple times, they are considered a repeat offender. Another example is if someone has been convicted of drunk driving and then gets caught doing it again, they are also a repeat offender.
Repeat offenders are often punished more severely than first-time offenders because they have shown a pattern of criminal behavior. This is to deter them from committing more crimes in the future.