How to Use first offender in a Sentence

first offender

noun
  • Because he was a first offender, he was put on probation rather than sentenced to jail.
  • For first offenders, the fine is typically halved.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Prison, for nonviolent first offenders, is more of a problem than a solution.
    — Conrad Black, National Review, 2 Oct. 2019
  • Kaderli had no additional charges in jail, and Niedrach granted his request to be treated as a first offender.
    — Chris Joyner, ajc, 19 Nov. 2021
  • Laye also faces charges of obstruction of an officer and possession of a firearm by a first offender probationer.
    — Raisa Habersham, ajc, 13 June 2018
  • The charge of making false statements carries up to a five-year prison sentence, but federal guidelines for a first offender include probation.
    — Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2019
  • Stone faces a maximum 50 years in prison for the charges, although a first offender would face far less time under federal sentencing guidelines.
    — Washington Post, 19 Dec. 2019
  • But Mr Sessions also wants to lock up first offenders, who can be detained for up to six months by immigration authorities.
    — The Economist, 2 June 2018
  • Ashleigh Merchant, one of Duke’s defense attorneys, asked for him to be sentenced as a first offender and be released on the time already served in jail.
    — Alexis Stevens, ajc, 23 May 2022
  • If the legislation becomes law, first offenders could be convicted of a misdemeanor and face up to one year in jail and a fine of more than $6,000.
    — oregonlive, 23 Feb. 2023
  • In 2009, he was charged with underage drinking, a case that also was later dismissed under a first offender's program.
    — Author: Robert O'Harrow Jr., Shawn Boburg, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Mar. 2018
  • He is sentenced to three years of probation, $390 in fines, one day in jail, three months of a first offender alcohol program and victim impact counseling.
    — Michele Corriston, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2022
  • Crossing the border without documents and attempting to elude border authorities is a misdemeanor for first offenders.
    — Caitlin Dickerson, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2019
  • She was placed on 12 months of summary probation, paid multiple fines, and was required to take a three-month first offender DUI program.
    — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 27 June 2026
  • Instead, the likely sentence for a first offender is a fine and probation, possibly with orders to perform community service and get counseling to avoid a recurrence.
    — Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 Jan. 2023
  • Chartier argued that jail was an unfit punishment for Klages as a non-violent first offender, and because of her age and a heart murmur, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
    — Anna Liz Nichols, Star Tribune, 4 Aug. 2020
  • An ex-Clayton County sheriff’s deputy, indicted after a man was repeatedly punched on the pavement in 2020, entered a guilty plea in June and was sentenced as a first offender.
    — Jozsef Papp, ajc, 15 Aug. 2022
  • No nonviolent first offender, other than a perpetrator of egregious crimes, such as Bernard Madoff, should be imprisoned; they should be punished in other, more efficient and less costly ways, such as obligatory spartan living and contributed work.
    — Conrad Black, National Review, 2 Oct. 2019
  • Bjerke was one of the first offenders identified in Virginia using forensic genealogy, an increasingly common technique for solving cold cases where police have little evidence beyond DNA.
    — Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2019
  • Spears was placed on 12 months of summary probation, must pay fines and fees and is required to complete a three-month first offender DUI program that spans 30 hours, the Ventura County District Attorney said in a news release.
    — USA Today, 4 May 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'first offender.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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