Legal Definitions - repeat offender

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.