In a tearful speech, defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland made an emotional appeal to the judge about Sean Combs’ business success and impact on the Black community.

"Our community finally had a seat at the table. A voice -- a real voice. After Mr. Combs figured out how to move within that industry, he moved on to help others," Westmoreland said, as her voice occasionally cracked.

Compared to the defense attorney Jason Driscoll’s legalistic speech -- which offered a breakdown of what the defense team says are comparable criminal cases to argue for a lighter sentence -- Westmoreland focused solely on Combs’ character and impact.

"I want to speak with the court about how he used his success to help others," she said. "Mr. Combs touched many more lives than the court has heard about this last year."

Westmoreland argued that Combs’ success as a musician and record label executive showed others what they can accomplish "no matter what race you are."

"By Mr. Combs wearing all of those hats and pouring himself into that label like he did, it sent a message. It sent a message that you can do it. You don’t have to be signed to the label, you can be the label," she said. "If Mr. Combs could do it, they could do it, too."

She also spoke at length about Combs’ clothing line and his work helping support charter schools in New York.

"Mr. Combs has touched the lives of so many," Westmoreland said. "He has given opportunity to inner city individuals who never had real corporate opportunities."

"He has really inspired a community," she said. "Mr. Combs has inspired generations and generations to follow."

Defense attorneys began their push for a light sentence by underscoring that Sean Combs lacked a financial motive for transporting male escorts across state lines.

Combs hired escorts to have sex with girlfriends so he could watch, often while masturbating, and film.

Defense attorney Jason Driscoll argued the law Combs was convicted of violating, the Mann Act, most often involves brothels, sex trafficking rings, pimps and vulnerable victims like minors or undocumented immigrants.

“They’re trying to equate Sean Combs to a pimp. He is not,” Driscoll said. “He did not commit this Mann Act offense conduct in any way for any type of personal gain.”

“For 75 years, long before Sean Combs was even born, the Department of Justice has said, ‘As a general rule prosecution should not be instituted in non-commercial cases,’” Driscoll said. “Profit motive is essential.”

Instead, the defense compared Combs to a John and argued clients of prostitutes often receive minimal sentences.

Driscoll is the first of four defense attorneys expected to speak on Combs’ behalf. Nicole Westmoreland is up next.

Prosecutors accused Sean Combs of downplaying his alleged violence, despite his lawyers openly conceding during trial that he was violent with two of his exes.

"He owned that violence only insofar as it benefited him," prosecutor Christy Slavik said.

"The violence in this case was uncontested," Slavik said. "The evidence of what the defendant did was overwhelming."

Slavik emphasized what she said was "life-altering" violence that Combs’ girlfriends Cassie Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym "Jane" testified at trial, as well as Combs’ allegedly abusive behavior towards his employees.

"He hit her, he kicked her, he threw her into walls, he stomped on her face, he dragged her by the hair," Slavik said of Ventura, who she said was "treated like an animal."

"Once is bad enough," she said. "Dozens and dozens of times is something the public must be defended from."

"This is not a person who has accepted responsibility," she said.

Slavik also pushed back against the defense argument that Combs’ relationships with "Jane" and Ventura were mutually harmful.

"The court heard Cassie engaging in a 'freak-off' while he was overdosing on drugs. What is mutual about that?" Slavik said. "There is nothing mutual about that."

Even if the judge removed the alleged violence, Slavik argued that a significant sentence would still be justified. Prosecutors argued that the most comparable case for Combs’ conduct is a 2023 conviction of a movie producer who ran an international prostitution business. The defendant in that case received a five-year prison sentence.

"Even prostitution cases that don’t involve violence get significant sentences in this district," she said.

A federal prosecutor urged Judge Arun Subramanian to impose a harsh sentence to punish Sean Combs not only for transporting male escorts across state lines for prostitution but also for “staggering” violence.

“The defense has tried to turn this into a minor violation in a sex, drugs and rock and roll lifestyle,” the prosecutor, Christy Slavik, said. “It’s clear: This isn’t just a case about 'freak offs' or hotel nights. It’s not just a case about sex. It’s a case about real victims who suffered real harm at the hands of the defendant.”

Slavik said Combs “did horrible things” to Cassie Ventura and to “Jane” who were in “abusive” relationships with him.

“This is not just a case about transportation for prostitution. It’s a case about transportation for prostitution and violence,” Slavik said.

Slavik cast doubt on Combs’ sincerity when he wrote to the judge that he accepted “responsibility and accountability” for his actions, noting a character letter received that said Combs has booked speaking engagements in Miami for next week.

“That is the opposite of demonstrating respect for the law,” Slavik said.

Prosecutors have urged the judge to impose a sentence of 11 years in prison. Judge Subramanian noted sentencing guidelines called for a sentence between 5 and 7 years. The judge retains discretion to vary the sentence up or down.

Defense attorneys are focusing on Sean Combs' character as they argue for a light sentence.

“He is a fighter for civil liberties and equality,” defense attorney Brian Steel said.

“Mr. Combs has inspired generations and generations to follow,” defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland said. “Mr. Combs personally inspired me.”

Steel said Combs wishes to return to Miami to care for his mother, be with his children and “be used by the community” as a spokesperson for avoiding drugs and living a crime-free life.

“Sean looks in the mirror and all he sees is the pain he has given to others,” Steel said. “Sean Combs is a leader. He is a civil rights leader. His good outweighs his bad, by far.”

Steel also reinforced the central argument put forth by the defense: that “freak-offs” were consensual, and the punishment should only reflect the crimes he was convicted of.

“You are not sentencing Sean for RICO or sex trafficking,” Steel said.

Rev. Gary Johnson, a Miami pastor, urged the judge to free Combs from custody and place him in the care of his community.

“Give him to us. I’ll be personally responsible,” Johnson said.