What is a mitigating factor?
Q: What is a mitigating factor?
A: A mitigating factor is something that can cause punishment to decrease in the case of a capital crime.
Q: What does "to mitigate" mean?
A: To mitigate means to decrease or make something less severe.
Q: What are aggravating factors?
A: Aggravating factors are things that are likely to cause a more severe punishment when someone commits a crime.
Q: Are mitigating factors an excuse for committing a crime?
A: No, mitigating factors may help explain what caused someone to commit a crime, but they do not mean the person did nothing wrong.
Q: Do mitigating factors automatically result in decreased punishment?
A: No, judges and juries also consider aggravating factors when deciding on appropriate punishments.
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