The Independent’s Alex Woodward reports from the court:

Judge Juan Merchan read a portion of the jury instructions to the court.

The allegations are in substance, that Donald Trump falsified business records to conceal an agreement with others to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election. Specifically, it is alleged that Donald Trump made or caused false business records to hide the true nature of payments made to Michael Cohen, by characterizing them as payment for legal services rendered pursuant to a retainer agreement. The People allege that in fact, the payments were intended to reimburse Michael Cohen for money he paid to Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, in the weeks before the presidential election to prevent her from publicly revealing details about a past sexual encounter with Donald Trump.

Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies the allegations.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward reports from the court:

Judge Merchan returns to the courtroom and says the hearing on Trump’s alleged gag order violations and contempt charge will now take place next Tuesday 23 April at 930am and not on 24 April as previously reported.

Video and audio feeds to the media room were switched off as the first 96 potential jurors were brought into court. We presumably will get them back once the cameras are reset to block them out. There are about two hours left in today’s proceedings, and attorneys get 30 minutes for this batch of jurors.

They are now being sworn in and Judge Merchan tells them instructions will take 30 minutes.

Trump is leaning forward at the table, he appears to be reading something, bobbing his head left to right as he scans the page.

The judge introduced the defence team, and Trump stood up with them and turned to the jurors in the room.

A litany of pundits have argued that if Mr Trump could just stop talking about himself and start talking about the issues voters care about, he’d be much likelier to win re-election this fall.

Alex Woodward reports from the court:

Judge Juan Merchan will hear prosecutors’ contempt charges on Wednesday 24 April at 2:15pm.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche wants more time to look through exhibits – a deadline that he blew past two months ago. The initial deadline, before the new flood of federal documents, was 22 February.

Merchan is giving him 24 hours. Otherwise, the defence will be precluded from using them.

The judge hammers the defence for a wave of motions within the last two months to try to get the case dismissed. “Frivolous or not … the defence team was very busy filing motions,” he said.

“I don’t know how you managed to get all those motions out …. One Sunday you got three premotions to me with exhibits and attachments,” he added. “The way you use your time is your business … I’m giving you 24 hours.”

He blustered a bit and handed off to Susan Necheles, her first time talking in court today. She was barely mic’d up so we could barely hear her.

Blanche is leaning towards Trump to listen to him speak. Trump is gesturing with both hands, scowling as he typically does, while he’s hunched in his chair with the shoulders of his suit jacket scrunched around him.

All is quiet in court as we wait for the jurors to come in.

One of the Democratic Party’s rising stars was on Trump’s case over the weekend over what she said were the “lies” the former president had told the American people for years about his stance on reproductive rights.

The presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee to take on President Joe Biden in 2024, Trump released a video last Monday outlining his (current) stance on the issue of abortion rights.

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer joined Sunday’s Meet The Press on NBC and responded to moderator Kristen Welker’s assertion that Trump was “straddling the line” on the issue.

John Bowden reports on what she had to say.

New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman says Donald Trump appeared to be asleep for some of this morning’s hearing.

Trump has repeatedly promised to pardon supporters of his who have been charged, convicted and, in some cases, imprisoned for crimes committed during the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

But according to a new report from anti-authoritarianism group Protect Democracy, he may not actually have that power even if he is returned to the White House after this year’s election.

The report, titled Checking the Pardon Power: Constitutional Limitations & Options for Preventing Abuse, lays out a number of circumstances in which a presidential pardon would not be valid because it would not be a legitimate use of the president’s authority to grant reprieves for “offenses against the United States”.

Trump Media shares plummeted more than 13 per cent on Monday morning after the company filed to register millions of additional shares – marking the latest blow for the struggling stock.

In a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) said it was proposing releasing 21.4 million shares of common stock.

Trump Media, the parent company of Truth Social, said the plan – a move that could help the company at a time it is losing money – was issuable “upon the exercise of warrants”, which give investors the ability to buy shares of stock at a certain price in a specific timeframe.

However, issuing new stock can devalue existing shareholders’ stock.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward reports from the courthouse:

Prosecutors are now calling up Trump’s latest series of posts from the 1 April gag order and demanding that Trump remove them. The written request does not include a post from earlier this morning.

“It’s entirely possible it could have been done in this courthouse,” prosecutors argue.

The prosecution is asking for permission to file a motion to hold Trump in contempt of court, with a fine of $1,000 for each violation.

Todd Blanche calls them “limited responses to a barrage of attacks”.

“It’s not as if President Trump is going out and targeting individuals. He’s responding to salacious, repeated, vehement attacks,” he adds.

The court is now breaking for lunch until 1.30pm.