Summary

  • Donald Trump Jr is the first witness called by the defence in a $250m (£204m) civil fraud trial in New York

  • The eldest son of Donald Trump is a co-defendant alongside his brother, Eric, and their father. They deny all accusations

  • It's not Don Jr's first time on the stand in this trial -the NY Attorney General's legal team questioned him two weeks ago

  • The trial centres around claims Trump inflated the value of properties by more than $2bn (£1.65bn) in order to secure favourable loans

  • The judge has already ruled Trump significantly inflated the value of his properties - this trial focuses on charges of falsification of business records, insurance fraud and conspiracy

  • A trial defeat could result in a $250m fine, a ban on Trump doing business in his home state, and losing control of iconic properties like Trump Tower

Live Reporting

Edited by Brandon Livesay and Brajesh Upadhyay

  1. Quiet start to the week

    Chloe Kim
    Reporting from court

    Donald Trump Jr is set to be called as the defence’s first witness today.

    The same courtroom that had reporters lining up at 05:00 local time (10:00 GMT) just last week is a lot quieter on Monday.

    Since the frenzy surrounding Trump’s testimony has died down, press who came to New York for the occasion seem to have left.

    Though court will be in session soon, it is largely empty as of now.

  2. Who has testified in the trial?

    So far, more than a dozen people have testified in the civil fraud trial.

    Donald Trump himself testified last week.

    His two sons - Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump - have already taken the stand when they were called by the prosecution.

    And Ivanka Trump, the oldest daughter of the former president, was the final witness called by the New York Attorney General.

    The three Trump men provided a total of more than 10 hours of testimony about their roles in the company, including overseeing its financials.

    Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer for the Trump Organization, and Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer have also given testimony, while various Trump accountants and tax attorneys have also taken the stand.

    The trial is expected to last as long as mid-December.

  3. Donald Trump Jr returns to witness stand in fraud trial

    Brandon Livesay
    Reporting from New York

    Donald Trump JrGetty Images

    Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the start of Donald Trump’s legal defence in a $250m New York civil fraud trial.

    The first witness is Donald Trump Jr, the former president’s eldest son and a co-defendant in this trial.

    We’ve already heard from Don Jr, he testified during the prosecution’s arguments back on 1 November.

    During his first testimony the executive vice-president at the Trump Organization denied having worked on the financial statements at the centre of the case. He also denied any knowledge of how the statements were prepared.

    The case focuses on statements that inflated the wealth of Donald Trump, allegedly to secure better rates on loans.

    If you are wondering why Don Jr is back on the stand, it’s because Trump’s legal team declined to cross examine him when he first appeared.

    Defence team doing cross examinations can only respond to topics brought up by the Attorney General’s lawyers.

    By calling Trump as a witness, Trump’s lawyers now have a broader scope of questions they can ask.

    Stick with us as we bring you the latest from inside the courtroom.