Question

________ are a category of legal defenses in which a defendant claims that some personal condition or circumstance at the time of the act was such that he or she should not be held accountable under the criminal law.

Answer 1

I believe the answer is: Excuses.
The excuses initially derived from personal recollection of the person who are accused. But, the legal teams in both sides could present arguments and proofs that would strengthen or weaken the excuses of the accused, which would influence the decision of the juries.