Law
Diminished Capacity in Criminal Sentencing
Quick fact
In many jurisdictions, diminished capacity does not fully excuse a crime but can reduce a murder charge to manslaughter, dramatically changing the sentence—sometimes from life in prison to a few years.
Why this is interesting
Imagine committing a crime while your mind is not fully your own—should you be punished as harshly as someone who acted with full awareness? That is the question at the heart of diminished capacity.