Legal Definitions - repeater

A repeater, also known as a recidivist, refers to an individual who commits a crime or offense again after having been previously convicted of a similar or different offense. In legal contexts, the term highlights a pattern of repeated unlawful behavior, which often leads to more severe penalties or different legal treatment compared to a first-time offender.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of a repeater:

• Example 1: Shoplifting Convictions

  Imagine a person, Sarah, who was convicted of shoplifting from a department store two years ago and served a short probation period. Recently, Sarah was caught shoplifting again from a different store. In this scenario, Sarah would be considered a repeater because she has committed the offense of shoplifting for a second time after a prior conviction. The court might impose a harsher sentence due to her status as a repeat offender.

• Example 2: Multiple Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Offenses

  Consider Mark, who received his first conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) five years ago, resulting in a license suspension and mandatory alcohol education. Last month, Mark was arrested and convicted for DUI again. Mark is now a repeater in the context of DUI offenses. His second conviction will likely carry significantly more severe penalties, such as a longer license suspension, mandatory ignition interlock device, or even jail time, precisely because it is not his first offense.

• Example 3: Business Environmental Violations

  A manufacturing company, "GreenTech Inc.," was fined by environmental regulators three years ago for improperly disposing of hazardous waste. Despite the fine and a promise to improve, the company was recently found to be in violation of similar environmental regulations again, this time for discharging pollutants into a local river above permissible limits. In this case, "GreenTech Inc." acts as a repeater regarding environmental law violations. Regulatory bodies or courts might impose much larger fines, stricter oversight, or even criminal charges against company executives due to the repeated nature of their non-compliance.