aggravating circumstance

noun

: a circumstance relating to the commission of an act that increases the degree of liability or culpability

punitive damages are recoverable in a conversion case when the evidence shows legal malice, willfulness, insult, or other aggravating circumstances—

Schwertfeger v. Moorehouse, 569 So. 2d 322 (1990)

also : a circumstance (as lack of remorse) relating to an offense or defendant that receives consideration by the court especially in imposing a death sentence compare mitigating circumstance

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“Aggravating circumstance.” Merriam-Webster.com Legal Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/legal/aggravating%20circumstance. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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