Diminished Responsibility Law & Legal Definition
Diminished responsibility is a defense sometimes offered in criminal cases that refers to a condition of arrested or retarded development of mind, whether inherent or caused by disease or injury, that substantially impairs a person's mental responsibility for his/her acts or omissions. It is also referred to as diminished capacity.
The diminished capacity plea is based in the belief that certain people, because of mental impairment or disease, are simply incapable of possessing the mental state required to commit a certain crime. If diminished responsibility is proven, it may negate an element of the crime, such as premediation, with which a defendant is charged, so that the defendant can be convicted only of a lesser offense. It differs from an insanity plea, because unlike the successful insanty defense, a defendant will not be found not guilty, but will instead be subject to a lesser charge.
Legal Definitions
Search Definitions
Get a Term Defined
- Request a legal definition! Submit a term you need defined.
- » Request Legal Definition
Submit a Definition
- Submit a Definition Help us build our database. Free listings for attorneys.
- » Submit a Definition
Help Build USLegal
- Join our Team and help build USLegal. Many opportunities for participation so Join our Network.
Build USLegal
Read a Law Digest
- Need to read the law or find an answer to a legal question? Visit our Law Digest for the largest selection of law digests and answers available.
Go to Law Digest
Form Packages
- Select from our most popular legal form packages.
- » Bankruptcy
- » Contract for Deed
- » Divorce
- » Employment Packages
- » Home Sales
- » Incorporation
- » LLC Formation
- » Landlord Tenant
- » Mutual Wills
- » Name Change
- » Personal Planning
- » Partnerships
- » View All Packages
Legal Life
- Organize your legal life today! View our free online guide to creating a Life Documents File and related products.
- » Life Documents File
- » Personal Planning Package
- » Life Documents Packages
- » New Parents
- » Newlyweds
- » Baby Boomers
- » Military
- » Other
Form Drafting
- Can′t find the form you need, or need a form we offer revised for your situation? Submit your request and our attorneys will review the request and let you know if the form can be provided.
Submit a drafting request...
