Answer 3: Mitigating or aggravating a punishment is a way to adjust the penalty for a crime based on the circumstances or mitigating factors. For example, if a person is found guilty of a crime, but there are extenuating circumstances, a court may decide to reduce the sentence as a way of mitigating the punishment. On the other hand, if there are aggravating factors, the court may decide to increase the sentence as a way of aggravating the punishment.