The Excuse reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
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Excuse

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In jurisprudence, an excuse is a defense; in which a defendant argues that, at the time a law was broken, they were not liable for their actionss; and thus, should not be held liable for a crime. Excuses include: diminished responsibility, duress, infancy, insanity, involuntary intoxication, mistake, provocation, and unconsciousness.