Crime and Justice Atlas

How Justice Is Served
Foundational Concepts

Habitual Offender

Also Known As Career Criminal

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A person convicted of a crime after already having been convicted of earlier offenses, a status that in many jurisdictions triggers enhanced sentencing under habitual offender or three strikes statutes. The United States Supreme Court held 5 to 4 in 2003 that such enhanced sentences do not violate the Eighth Amendment.

Facts
DomainSourced to the subject's own account
Typology of crime 1
Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Recidivism, Foundational Concepts

A habitual offender is, by definition, an instance of recidivism; the two concepts describe the same repeat-offending pattern from the offender's status and the act's recurrence respectively.

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Habitual Offender
Lead section
Quote, Lead section
A habitual offender, repeat offender, or career criminal is a person convicted of a crime who was previously convicted of other crimes.
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