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- DictionaryDiminished capacity
noun
- 1. an unbalanced mental state that is considered to make a person less answerable for a crime and to be grounds for a reduced charge, but that does not classify them as insane. US "PTSD may be used to argue for diminished capacity as a mitigating factor at sentencing"
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The meaning of DIMINISHED CAPACITY is an abnormal mental condition that renders a person unable to form the specific intent necessary for the commission of a crime (as first-degree murder) but that does not amount to insanity —called also diminished responsibility, partial insanity.
DIMINISHED CAPACITY meaning: the condition in which someone's mental state, etc. causes them not to be in full control of their…. Learn more.
The diminished capacity plea is based in the belief that certain people, because of mental impairment or disease, are simply incapable of reaching the mental state required to commit a crime. This most often comes up in murder cases where the defense is trying to get a murder charge reduced to manslaughter.
Diminished capacity, on the other hand, is only a partial defense because it is not presented as an excuse or justification for a crime but rather as an attempt to prove that the defendant was incapable of forming the requisite intent of the crime charged and, therefore, is innocent of that crime but likely still guilty of a lesser offense.
Nov 21, 2023 · In psychology, the term diminished capacity refers to a condition in which a person does not have the mental capacity to properly make their own life decisions...
- When someone is said have a diminished mental capacity, it means that they are not capable of effectively making their own decisions about their li...
- One example of diminished capacity could be someone who suffers from dementia, and has difficulty with daily tasks and responsibilty, and struggles...
- Some signs of diminished capacity include: lapses in memory, emotional distress, disorientation, emotional inappropriateness, delusions and halluci...
diminished capacity - An unusual mental state that makes a person incapable of creating the specific intent needed to commit a crime, such as first-degree murder, but does not rise to the level of insanity.
diminished capacity. noun. /dɪˌmɪnɪʃt kəˈpæsəti/. /dɪˌmɪnɪʃt kəˈpæsəti/. (North American English) ( British English diminished responsibility) [uncountable] (law) a state in which a person who is accused of a crime is not considered to be responsible for their actions, because they have a serious mental illness.
