Question

To choose the correct of (does/does not):I will not deny that the defendant's action might seem heinous. Nevertheless, such a competent jury cannot deny the dire circumstances of the defendant's upbringing! Orphaned at birth, a loveless foster home, little encouragement in either schooling or vocation: Who among us cannot understand the desperation that such circumstances might inspire? I submit that the defendant's crime would never have happened except for such desperate circumstances. You must acquit.

(DOES/DOES NOT) commit a fallacy; specifically, it (DOES/DOES NOT) commit a straw man fallacy.

Answer 1

It does commit a fallacy; specifically, it does not commit a straw man fallacy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The text presented in the question above presents a fallacy, but not the fallacy known as straw man, but the fallacy known as appeal to penalty.

A fallacy is an incorrect argument, which presents irrelevant and error-filled reasoning, in an attempt to convince the listener to make an incorrect decision in the case. The text presented above, presents the fallacy known as appeal to penalty, where the speaker tries to justify the wrong actions committed by someone, putting that person as a victim and trying to win the listener's sympathy to free that person from the accusations. The speaker of the text above, uses this fallacy when trying to victimize a criminal and claim that the crimes committed were carried out because of the sad life that the criminal went through and for that reason, he should be acquitted.