Explain aggravating and mitigating circumstances and when they are used. List and describe at least three aggravating and three mitigating circumstances.

What will be an ideal response?


Answers should define aggravating circumstances as circumstances relating to the commission of a crime that make it more serious than the average instance of that crime and mitigating circumstances as circumstances relating to the commission of a crime that may be considered to reduce the defendant's blameworthiness. In jurisdictions with sentencing guidelines or presumptive sentencing, these are considered by the judge when imposing a sentence that is at variance from the guidelines or presumptive term. A discussion of specific aggravating and mitigating circumstances, as described in the CJ Issues box, should also be included in the response.

Criminal Justice

You might also like to view...

During a rape investigation, what types of evidence should be considered by the investigator?

What will be an ideal response?

Criminal Justice

Officer Martinez places Heather in handcuffs and has her sit in the back seat of his police car. While Heather is being watched by the backup officer, Officer Martinez goes into the back seat of Heather's car and seizes the bloody knife and places it into an evidence bag. Which exception allows Officer Martinez to legally seize the bloody knife?

a. abandoned property b. border searches c. plain view d. stop and frisk

Criminal Justice

__________________ involves resentencing an offender after a short prison stay

Fill in the blank(s) with correct word

Criminal Justice

What are the disadvantages of crime-scene photographs?

What will be an ideal response?

Criminal Justice