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Definition of diminished capacity in English:

diminished capacity

noun

US Law

  • 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.

    British term diminished responsibility

    ‘PTSD may be used to argue for diminished capacity as a mitigating factor at sentencing’
    • ‘The prosecutor argued that the circumstances of the case rebutted the presumption the accused is entitled to that as a youth he had a diminished capacity for moral judgments.’
    • ‘A Vermont man accused of killing his ex-wife's husband will seek a diminished capacity defense at his trial.’
    • ‘He claimed diminished capacity due to medical condition from injuries in fatal crash.’
    • ‘She suffered multiple strokes in the 1990s and has diminished capacity as a result.’
    • ‘The defense never denied he killed the citim, only that he had diminished capacity at the time.’
    • ‘Brown claimed that he had diminished capacity as though he were under the age of 18.’
    • ‘His counsel claimed he was of diminished capacity at the time of the murder.’
    • ‘This diminished capacity defense may lessen some of her charges.’
    • ‘He he has likely laid the groundwork for some sort of insanity or diminished capacity defense.’
    • ‘Her lawyer says she suffered from diminished capacity.’