According to Foresight News, CoinDesk reporter @nikhileshde reported that Zhao Changpeng's defense lawyer said that Zhao Changpeng's mother, son, nephew and sister were all present to support Zhao Changpeng, and Zhao Changpeng had a letter of support and came to the United States to face trial, which was in stark contrast to another case where the defendant spent 4.5 years fighting for extradition.
The judge asked defense attorneys questions, including verifying that Zhao Changpeng benefited from his continued ownership of Binance, and that Zhao had no control over the situation. Defense attorneys said all factors supported a lighter sentence.
The judge asked the defense attorney if he agreed with the five-month sentence proposed by the probation office. The defense attorney agreed, but thought the judge could consider the six factors listed to reduce the sentence.