Chloe Kim
Reporting from court

We're now finding out how a jury could be selected in Donald Trump's hush money trial.

Justice Merchan and Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche are talking about how jurors might be excused.

They mention specific questions that are used for screening jurors.

Question #10 on the questionnaire seems to be disputed. It would ask jurors which of the following media (print, broadcast, digital, etc) do they consume and proceeds to list media companies like USA Today, CNN, Washington Post, and many more.

The prosecution suggests that other media personalities need to be added, such as Sean Hannity, Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson, Mark Levin, and Ben Shapiro - all of which are more right-leaning commentators.

Image source, Getty Images

Today we have two court cases involving Donald Trump happening at the same time. In New York, where Trump is attending in-person, there is a hearing into $130,000 (£103,500) of “hush money” paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016.

While we learned earlier in New York that Trump's motion to have that case dismissed was denied, we have another important court matter happening about 1,300km (807 miles) south in Fulton County, Georgia.

• You can watch a live stream of the Georgia court hearing here.

Trump faces various charges in Georgia alleging he conspired to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. Fani Willis is the Fulton County District Attorney leading the election interference case against Trump.

But today the court is focusing on allegations Willis had an “improper” romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, a lead prosecutor she hired for the case.

With Trump's motion to dismiss the New York case denied, we could still get important developments from the Georgia courtroom.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from court

Justice Merchan has allowed Todd Blanche to proceed at length, but ultimately, he isn't changing his mind about when this trial will start.

He says he has heard these arguments before from Donald Trump's lawyer, and he once again reiterates that jury selection will start on 25 March.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from the courtroom

Image source, Getty Images

Trump watched intently from the defence table as Todd Blanche, his attorney, unsuccessfully tried to change Justice Merchan's mind.

His attorneys in this case and others will often repeatedly press the judges on points they seem certain to lose, and Trump's presence seems to play into that strategy.

The former president is notoriously combative himself, and while the rules are very different in court than on the campaign trail, you get the sense from watching these trials that his attorneys are expected to fight with similar vigour on his behalf.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from the courtroom

Image source, Reuters

Todd Blanche is throwing out one more expected argument for delaying the trial: the prosecution's star witness, Michael Cohen.

Trump's lawyers argue that Cohen perjured himself when he testified in a separate civil trial about Trump's business practices that took place last year.

“How can we possibly go to trial when there's a witness who committed perjury two months ago across the street?" Blanche asks.

Justice Merchan has so far not been persuaded to change his mind.

Chloe Kim
Reporting from court

Blanche has been arguing that the March start date would interrupt a busy primary season - that's where Republicans vote for who they want to be their presidential nominee.

Trump's lawyer claims through May we will see "42 primaries and caucuses".

He calls the trial date: "completely election interference”.

Meanwhile, Trump looks relaxed, leaning back in his chair and craning his neck to watch his lawyer go to bat for him.

He looks resigned at points, occasionally, tilting his head to the side.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from the courtroom

Joshua Steinglass, a lawyer with the District Attorney's office, counters Blanche's claim that the trial schedule would interfere with Trump's ability to run for president.

He said the trial's scheduled start is after several Republican primaries in February and March - including Super Tuesday on 5 March.

Trump is currently the front-runner to be named the Republican presidential nominee.

Chloe Kim
Reporting from court

Image source, EPA

In response to Justice Merchan's announcement that jury selection will start at the end of March, Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, called it a “great injustice”.

He says that since this indictment came they are in a "completely different landscape”.

He said this puts Trump in an “impossible position”.

"Let me finish," Justice Merchan says, in response to Trump's counsel and their argument.

"Stop interrupting me, please," he tells Blanche.

A step closer to seeing Trump in court as a criminal defendantpublished at 14:45 Greenwich Mean Time 15 February 2024

14:45 GMT 15 February 2024

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

Donald Trump’s indictment for falsifying business records related to payment to Stormy Daniels isn’t the most serious case he faces or the most publicised. But, barring some unforeseen development, it will be the first to go to trial.

With jury selection set to begin on 25 March, the prospect of a former president sitting in a courtroom as a criminal defendant is taking a major step toward becoming reality.

Up until now, the former president’s indictments in four separate cases have had little effect on his standing as a candidate for the presidency. In fact, Trump has leaned into the charges for a fundraising boost and as a means of dominating the headlines.

Trump’s upcoming trial may not change this dynamic, but it still will mark a first in American history.

Justice Merchan opened the proceedings today by saying he has ruled on Trump's motion to dismiss the case.

“The defendant's motions to dismiss have been denied," he said.

He said jury selection would begin on 25 March, as scheduled.

Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, is now attempting to argue that they should get a delay.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from court

Everyone rose as Justice Juan Merchan strode into the courtroom. The court is now in session.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from court

Donald Trump just walked into the courtroom and took a seat at the defence table.

He looked a little more relaxed than last time as he strode down the centre aisle, even gesturing hello to one reporter he recognised.

He's now assumed his usual posture before the judge: chatting quietly with his attorneys, leaning slightly forward against the desk, and maintaining a sombre expression.

Donald Trump is now speaking outside of the courtroom.

He starts his address by saying: "This is not a crime."

"This case could have been brought three years ago, there is no case," he says.

He claims the case is about hurting him in the election, which he says he is "leading by a lot".

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from court

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and Donald Trump's legal team, are now seated in court.

Now we're just waiting on the former president.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from court

I'm now in the courtroom waiting for Donald Trump to arrive for his 09:30 ET hearing.

On 4 April 2023, I was in this same courtroom as Trump appeared for his historic arraignment in this case.

It was the first time a former president had been indicted, and the tension was appropriately high. Media organisations lined up overnight to make sure they got access to the proceedings.

Once in the courtroom, police and Secret Service hovered over us, watching our every move. We were not allowed to use any electronics, and nobody said a word. The room was stifling with tension - and I also remember wishing they'd turn down the heat.

This time around, the atmosphere is slightly more relaxed. We still went through heavy security to get here, but reporters are quietly chatting, we're mercifully allowed to use our laptops, and police, while on their guard, are giving us a little more personal space.

The air conditioner is on, or at least, someone has tamed the radiators.

Trump has now appeared in court for his multiple trials numerous times, and authorities and press have figured out the drill. Seeing a former US president in court has now become somewhat routine.

Image source, Getty Images

As Donald Trump left his penthouse apartment in Midtown Manhattan, he raised his fist into the air for the waiting cameras.

It's a pose he has frequently used on his way to his various court matters.

A few minutes ago, the former president posted on his Truth Social, external account that he was "heading to yet another Courthouse in Manhattan on a case that would have never been brought if I wasn’t running for Pres".

He goes on to claim the case is election interference.

Kayla Epstein and Chloe Kim
Reporting from court

Image source, US Pool

We've just heard Donald Trump is on his way to court now.

There's a live stream at the top of this page (press the play button to watch). It's currently showing his motorcade on the streets of Manhattan.

We’re already here at the courthouse, currently standing in the second security line now which is snaking around a narrow room.

Though the queue outside the courthouse was orderly, it has quickly become chaotic - with reporters (including us) asking where the end of the line is.

Compared to Trump's arraignment last year, this security line is much more disorganised.

The larger than usual police presence outside has blocked off certain areas of the street, stopping cars from dropping people off at certain corners.

Image source, Getty Images

Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said in media interviews that she met Trump at a charity golf tournament in July 2006.

She alleged the pair had sex once in his hotel room at Lake Tahoe, a resort area between California and Nevada.

A lawyer for Trump "vehemently" denied this at the time.

"He didn't seem worried about it. He was kind of arrogant," she said in response to an interviewer's question asking if Trump had told her to keep quiet about their alleged night together.

Trump's wife, Melania Trump, was not at the golf tournament and had just given birth to their son, Barron.

In 2016, in the days before the US presidential election, Daniels said Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen paid her $130,000 in "hush money" to keep her quiet about the alleged affair.

She said she took it because she was concerned for the safety of her family.

Daniels claims she was legally and physically threatened to stay silent.

Today's Donald Trump case is only part of the legal and political drama playing out in a very busy election year.

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Justice Juan Merchan could finalise the trial’s start date - which was originally slated to begin on 25 March.

But that start date has been up in the air, along with the dates of other court cases involving the former president.

This is because we are waiting to hear from the Supreme Court, which is considering if Donald Trump should be kicked off the 2024 election ballot.

That has caused a bottleneck in his court calendar.

If this hush money trial does begin in late March, it will be the first criminal trial of the former president.

Trump has been involved in a couple of other trials this year already, but they are civil matters, not criminal.

You can read all about Trump’s legal issues here.