Extenuating circumstances refers to factors surrounding a criminal act that tends to mitigate or lessen the degree of crime. These circumstances can't lower the offense or crime itself, but may result in reducing the penalty or punishment being imposed.
Extenuating circumstances might also sometimes include extraordinary circumstances which often play a major role in the final outcome. These extraordinary circumstances may include the young age of the defendant. Other examples of extenuating circumstances may include manslaughter rather than murder.