Common Mitigating Circumstances

He looked like any normal nerdy American with big glasses and a scrawny frame. 351. 233. You can have the most beautiful ornaments in the world, but if your tree is scrawny and odd-shaped, you’ll have trouble competing for the coveted title of best decorated tree.

: exceptionally thin and slight or meager in body or size scrawny scrub cattle.

Unlike mandatory minimums, the sentencing guidelines are advisory, not mandatory. In calculating sentences, judges are allowed to go below or above someone’s guideline sentence depending on the circumstances of the case.

Aggravating circumstances refers to factors that increases the severity or culpability of a criminal act. A mitigating factor is the opposite of an aggravating circumstance, as a mitigating factor provides reasons as to why punishment for a criminal act’s ought to be lessened.

• Minor role. The defendant played a relatively minor role in the crime.
• Victim culpability. The victim willingly participated in the crime or initiated the events leading to it.
• Unusual circumstance.
• No harm.
• Lack of record.
• Relative necessity.
• Remorse.
• Difficult personal history.

Kinds of aggravating circumstances:

• Generic – that which generally applies to all crimes like recidivism.
• Specific – that which applies to a particular felony like cruelty in crimes against persons.
• Qualifying – that which changes the nature of the felony, as treachery in murder.

Mitigating (or extenuating) circumstances are factors that tend to lessen the severity of a crime or its punishment by making the defendant’s conduct understandable or less blameworthy. Mitigating circumstances might include a defendant’s young age, mental illness or addiction, or minor role in the crime.

‘Extenuating Circumstances’ are events that are sudden, significantly disruptive and beyond your control. Extenuating Circumstances include, but are not limited to: Bereavement: For a child, sibling, spouse or partner. Shorter-term medical conditions: Serious personal injury, medical condition or mental health …

Definition. Factors that lessen the severity or culpability of a criminal act, including, but not limited to, defendant’s age or extreme mental or emotional disturbance at the time the crime was committed, mental retardation, and lack of a prior criminal record.

Mitigating circumstances are usually things that you didn’t expect to happen or that were outside of your control. Generally, they could be any personal difficulties that could have a significant impact on you and your studies.

In general terms, mitigating circumstances must be (a) significant (they have more than a minor impact on you), (b) unexpected (you must have had no prior knowledge of the event), (c) unpreventable (there was no reasonable steps you could have taken to prevent the event), (d) relevant (you must be able to link the …

Submission of requests All requests for mitigating circumstances to be taken into account must be submitted to the Department Office, or in the case of research students to the Graduate School, on a Mitigating Circumstances Form by the student concerned. Requests from third parties may not normally be considered.

How to write a mitigating circumstances letter?

1. Gratitude for the chance to explain the situation.
2. A clear and concise explanation of the situation.
3. Honesty.
4. What you want from the university.