Articles 4, 6, and 7 of the Criminal Code provides statutory affirmative defenses. Affirmative defenses are those where a defendant will admit that they committed a crime, but provide an excuse or justification why they should be punished less or not at all for the crime. Whether an affirmative defense prevents or reduces punishment is a decision for the jury. There are generally two categories of affirmative defenses, justification and exoneration.