Good morning from New York. We're seven sworn jurors into the process in Trump's criminal trial. Could we get the full 12-person panel today, save for the alternates? Follow again for more voir dire, and see my chat with @Lawrence on Tuesday's session msnbc.com/the-last-word/…
First off: On the first day, Justice Merchan read out a list of 41 names related to the case—not all witnesses. For @just_security, @NormEisen spearheaded a breakdown of these names, with research from @JNKGoodman and me. Bookmark this resource justsecurity.org/94696/trump-cr…
Trump has sat down at the defense table, more alert than we have seen him so far. He appeared to be talking on his phone, until his attorney Todd Blanche made a cellphone gesture toward him, and he got off the phone.
Proceedings were about to start a bit early, but there isn't a court reporter present. Justice Merchan had attorneys for both sides approach for a sidebar, for undisclosed reasons.
Per @DevlinBarrett, in the press pool: Trump's aide Jason Miller and campaign spokesman Steven Cheung are present in the courtroom.
The judge announces: Juror #2, the nurse who announced "no one is above the law," expressed concerns about her ability to be fair, after being sworn in on Tuesday.
She's brought into the courtroom: Juror #2: "I definitely have concerns now." [...] "Yesterday alone, I had friends, colleagues and family push things to my phone, questioning my identity as a juror." She is excused.
Merchan addresses the press: He says revealing too many juror details "defeats the purpose" of anonymity. "The press is certainly able and permitted to write about anything that's on the record, because it's on the record."
Merchan: "But I'm directing that the press simply applies common sense." In an extraordinary order, the judge directs reporters not to report physically and audibly identifying information about the jury.
Prosecutors complain that the most identifying information may be Question 3A: "Who is your current employer?" They want more generalized answers to that question. The defense says they need that information. Merchan agrees. He directs the press not to report that.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy proposes a new order to show cause, telling the judge that Trump "violated the order seven more times." "It's ridiculous. It's got to stop." He wants to add seven more violations to next week's contempt hearing.
Questions emerge about Juror #4, who called Trump "fascinating and mysterious." ADA Steinglass says a person with the same name had been arrested in Westchester for tearing down political ads.