prior conviction
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prior conviction
An official entry in a register about an earlier final conviction for a criminal offense. A prior conviction can have a negative effect on later life, for example when looking for a job.
Für die Stelle als Beamter darf man keine Vorstrafen haben.
For the position as a civil servant, you must not have any prior convictions.
The word is made up of the prefix 'Vor-' (before) and the noun 'Strafe' (punishment/penalty). A 'Vorstrafe' (prior conviction) is therefore literally a punishment that someone has already received before the current situation.
Er hat eine Strafe für zu schnelles Fahren bekommen.
He received a penalty for driving too fast.
'Vorstrafe' (prior conviction) is a term from law and administration. You often encounter it in connection with looking for a job, applications for public service positions, or when applying for a police clearance certificate.
Für diesen Job ist ein sauberes Führungszeugnis ohne Vorstrafen erforderlich.
For this job, a clean criminal record without prior convictions is required.
The most common verb combination is 'eine Vorstrafe haben' (to have a prior conviction). The negative form 'keine Vorstrafen haben' (to have no prior convictions) is also very common.
Der Angeklagte hat bereits mehrere Vorstrafen.
The defendant already has several prior convictions.
The adjective 'vorbestraft' (having a prior conviction / previously convicted) is derived from the noun 'die Vorstrafe' (prior conviction). The sentence 'Er hat eine Vorstrafe' (He has a prior conviction) means exactly the same as 'Er ist vorbestraft' (He has a prior conviction / He has been previously convicted).
Wer vorbestraft ist, findet oft schwerer eine Arbeit.
Anyone who has a prior conviction often finds it harder to get a job.
punishment / penalty
'die Strafe' and 'die Vorstrafe' both have to do with wrongdoing and the law. 'Strafe' means the negative consequence itself, for example having to pay money, go to prison, or receive another consequence. 'Vorstrafe' does not mean the punishment in the moment, but the official record that someone was convicted in the past. Learners may confuse the words because both contain 'Strafe'. The important point is: you receive a 'Strafe' for an act; a 'Vorstrafe' is something you have later in your personal history.
Bei der Bewerbung fragte niemand nach seiner Vorstrafe.
No one asked about his prior conviction during the job application process.
Nach dem Unfall musste der Fahrer eine hohe Strafe zahlen.
After the accident, the driver had to pay a heavy penalty.