first offender

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Her lawyer, Joseph Katati, described Edwards as a remorseful first offender with potential.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2025

The felony carries up to four years in prison but "no one gets jail time for that as a first offender," a New York law enforcement official told Yahoo News.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2023

That means anyone convicted must serve their entire sentence, can’t be sentenced to probation as a first offender and can’t be paroled unless they have served at least 30 years in prison.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 6, 2023

Paul Hodgkins, a Florida man, was the first offender to be sentenced when he received eight months in prison in July for obstructing an official proceeding.

From Fox News • Sep. 3, 2021

However short the time he stays, and however wide his experience, the first offender learns things he never knew before, and takes another degree in the life that an evil destiny has prepared for him.

From Crime: Its Cause and Treatment by Darrow, Clarence