Legal Definitions - aggravator

Definition: An aggravator is someone who commits a crime with an aggravating circumstance. This means that the crime was made worse by certain factors that make it more serious.

For example, if someone commits a robbery and uses a weapon to threaten the victim, the use of the weapon is an aggravating circumstance. This makes the crime more serious and the punishment may be more severe.

Another example of an aggravating circumstance is if the victim of a crime is particularly vulnerable, such as a child or an elderly person. This would make the crime more serious and the punishment may be more severe.

An aggravator is the opposite of a mitigator, which is someone who commits a crime with mitigating circumstances. Mitigating circumstances are factors that make the crime less serious and may result in a less severe punishment.