LIVE UPDATES: Trump Manhattan Trial - Day 1

Update - 5:03 pm Eastern - The first day of trial has wrapped up in Manhattan, with nine jurors questioned thus far. A new panel is expected to be brought in on Tuesday for further voir dire.

After court was dismissed for the day, former President Trump addressed cameras outside the courtroom briefly to express his frustration with the process and concern that the judge may not allow him to be absent from court to attend his son Barron's graduation or to attend oral argument in the Supreme Court next week.

Some highlights from the day's proceedings:

Here are the wins, according to CNN's chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid.
Wins for the prosecution:
Judge Merchan refused to recuse himself from the case
Karen McDougal, an actress and model who alleged she also had an affair with Trump, can testify
National Enquirer stories slamming Trump's opponents can be used as evidence
Wins for the defense:
The "Access Hollywood" tape can't be played
Sexual assault accusations involving Trump can't be used
E. Jean Carroll's defamation deposition against Trump can't be used

Update - 4:05 pm Eastern - We've learned a little bit about prospective jurors questioned thus far:

So far, Judge Juan Merchan has questioned four members of the jury pool using the questionnaire.

Of the four, one was dismissed by the judge. Here's a look at the other three:
One woman lives in Midtown and works in business development for a venture capital firm. She is married with no children and likes going to restaurants in the city.
One man who lives in Midtown said he is a married creative director who enjoys hiking, cooking and playing with his daughter.
Another woman lives on the Upper West Side and works in city government. She is married without children and said she likes cooking, artwork and going to shows.
All three listed The New York Times and CNN as their news sources. Two listed The Wall Street Journal and Google.

Update - 3:28 pm Eastern - After calls for prospective jurors to raise their hands if they are unable to serve — either due to inability to be impartial or other undisclosed reasons — only 34 of the original 96 jurors brought in remain and will now be questioned.

Update - 3:15 pm Eastern - Judge Merchan has asked prospective jurors, 96 of whom are currently seated in the courtroom, to let him know if any of them feel they cannot be fair and impartial or if they cannot serve for any other reason. Several prospective jurors have raised their hands.

Update - 1:25 pm Eastern: Prospective jurors are being escorted into the courtroom after going through security. Their names will be provided to prosecutors and defense attorneys but kept from the press/public.

Update - 1:45 pm Eastern: The trial has resumed, and jury selection is expected to get underway soon.

Judge Merchan is revisiting the procedure for questioning jurors.

Justice Merchan: We are expecting a panel of 96 prospective jurors.
Prosecutors: The defendant has failed to designate any exhibits. They claim their obligations are merely responsive. The Court directed them to provide reciprocal discovery
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) April 15, 2024

Update - 12:30 pm Eastern: The prosecution is moving to sanction former President Trump for social media posts they allege violate the gag order put in place by the court.

Prosecutor Chris Conroy told the judge they are seeking permission to hold Trump in contempt for violating the gag order and sanction Trump $1,000 for each of the three posts that violate the order.
Conroy also said that prosecutors want the judge to take down the three posts and to remind the defendant that "further violations could result in jail time."

The court is now taking an hour-long lunch break.

Update - 12:07 pm Eastern: There's been a fair amount of discussion surrounding the admissibility of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen's guilty plea. The judge has ruled that evidence of the plea is admissible, provided the proper foundation is laid.

Merchan said he does not want a jury to think that because Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations that therefore Trump is guilty of that — and he added the prosecution has said they are not going to argue that.
Some context: Trump's attorneys and the district attorney's office are debating what can be told the jury about Cohen's crimes. It's a key question because Cohen's credibility is going to be one of the biggest issues for the jury in this case.

Update - 11:04 am Eastern: Some additional rulings have now been made: Prosecutors will be allowed to introduce the testimony of model and actress Karen McDougal regarding a purported 2006 affair with former President Trump and subsequent payment she received to remain quiet about it, but will not be permitted to introduce the fact that Melania Trump was pregnant during the affair.

Further, Judge Merchan has denied prosecutors' request to introduce the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape as well as the E. Jean Carroll deposition. He has also denied their request to introduce evidence regarding allegations of sexual assault against Trump, which came out after the release of the "Access Hollywood" tape.

Update - 10:45 am Eastern: Judge Merchan and the attorneys are still sorting out preliminary issues.

The judge is delaying his ruling on former President Trump's request to miss the trial for his son Barron's graduation, stating, “It really depends on if we are on time and where we are in the trial,” per the pool report.

Further, the judge has acceded to prosecutors' requests to introduce evidence regarding Trump's agreement with the National Enquirer, which led to the payments in question.

Update - 10:15 am Eastern: Judge Juan Merchan has taken up and denied the recusal motion. He has also stated there will be no court on Wednesdays or on Monday, April 29.

Update - 10:00 am Eastern: Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has entered the courtroom.

Update - 9:32 am Eastern: Former President Trump stopped and briefly addressed the cameras upon entering the courthouse, calling the case "an assault on America" and noting its unprecedented nature.

Update - 9:20 am Eastern: Livestream from outside the court.

Update - 9:02 am Eastern: Former President Donald Trump's motorcade has left Trump Tower and is making its way to the courthouse in Manhattan.

Monday morning marks the beginning of the criminal of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan for alleged falsification of business records in relation to so-called "hush money" payments to Stormy Daniels in 2016. The case, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, has drawn heavy criticism for essentially being an attempt to bootstrap a state misdemeanor into a federal crime.

Legal Experts Across the Political Spectrum Are Laughing at Alvin Bragg's Indictment of Donald Trump

Judge Denies Motion to Delay 'Hush Money' Trial, Blames Pre-Trial Publicity 'In Part' on Trump

The former president will be in court every day for the duration of the trial, which is expected to last six to eight weeks. Jury selection will begin Monday and may last as much as a week (or longer).

The trial will not be televised, so reports on the proceedings will dribble in over time, but RedState will provide coverage as information becomes available and include key updates in this thread, so be sure to check back throughout the day to keep abreast of the proceedings.