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.”
