Law360 reports from the second day of Donald Trump’s “hush money” criminal trial:

“Trump’s head slowly dropped, his eyes closed. It jerked back upward. He adjusts himself. Then, his head droops again. He straightens up, leaning back. His head doops for a third time, he shakes his shoulders. Eyes closed still. His head drops. Finally, he pops his eyes open.”

Washington Post: “In a case so closely tied to an alleged sexual liason, lawyers spent much of Monday arguing over what a jury can be told about other purported indiscretions in Trump’s life. Prosecutors wanted to tell the jury that he also had an affair with Karen McDougal, a Playboy model, at a time when his wife, Melania Trump, was pregnant with his child.”

“Trump lawyer Todd Blanche argued that would poison the jury against his client, for something that was not a crime and has no bearing on the charges he is facing.”

Said Blanche: “The risk of unfair prejudice is through the roof, from salacious details about a completely different situation.”

Donald Trump was apparently angry at New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman for reporting that he fell asleep during the first day of his criminal trial in Manhattan, CNN reports.

Said Haberman: “I noticed that he made a pretty specific stare at me and walked out of the room. If anyone falls asleep who is a criminal defendant in a case, we’re going to report on it. But he doesn’t like when such things are reported.”

Associated Press/NORC Poll: “Only about one-third of U.S. adults say Trump did something illegal in the hush money case for which jury selection began Monday, while close to half think he did something illegal in the other three criminal cases pending against him.”

“And they’re fairly skeptical that Trump is getting a fair shake from the prosecutors in the case — or that the judge and jurors can be impartial in cases involving him.”

“Donald Trump is learning a hard lesson: Criminal defendants don’t get to set their own schedules,” Politico reports.

“Three times on Monday the former president asked Justice Juan Merchan to cut him loose from his hush money trial to attend to other matters — some personal, some political and some legal. Three times the judge responded with, essentially, ‘eh, we’ll see.’”

“It’s a jarring new reality for Trump, who has been accustomed to setting the agenda for most of his adult life — and, in the years since his presidency, has bounced between his sunny Florida resort and political rallies brimming with adoring fans. But this spring, he’ll have to spend most weekdays in a drab 15th floor county courtroom in a city with very little MAGA.”

New York Times: “It’s easy to forget how long it takes to do a little in legal settings. On Monday, the morning session was dominated by maneuvering by prosecutors and the defense, even as prospective jurors waited. By lunch, they were still waiting.”

“Jury selection could take days or weeks, and the trial itself may take two months. The Passover holiday could cause delays, Justice Merchan said, though he might make some of that up by holding hearings on court matters on Wednesdays, which was previously going to be an off day.”

The accounting firm that was first hired to audit Donald Trump’s social media company quit just months after it was appointed, the Financial Times reports.

According to sources, WithumSmith+Brown no longer wanted to be associated with Trump and his company after several months on the job.

Wall Street Journal: Trump’s Truth Social stake shrinks by $3 billion after stock tanks.

“Donald Trump and his allies have fought back against the criminal case he faces here by discounting the impact of alleged conduct that happened years ago and charges that center on the seemingly tedious subject of business records,” the Washington Post reports.

“But the last flurry of motions before jury selection began Monday showed that prosecutors plan to lay out a different kind of story, one that has much more in common with the tabloid fodder that fueled Trump’s fame and revisits the ‘Access Hollywood’ scandal that was a low point during the final weeks of the 2016 election he went on to win.”

“That framing could scramble expectations about the salience of this trial for voters considering whether to return Trump to the White House in November.”

Earlier for members: Why Trump’s Criminal Trial In New York Is a Big Deal

“After a short-lived honeymoon, former President Donald Trump’s media company is experiencing a rough reception on Wall Street. Trump Media & Technology Group — which trades under the ticker DJT, his initials — tumbled 18.4% in Monday trading, a drop that follows last week’s 21% plunge,” CBS News reports.

“The stock plunge has erased billions from Trump’s stake — at least on paper. The shares soared when they began trading on March 26, giving Trump’s 57% ownership position a value of $6.25 billion. But after DJT’s recent slump, that stake is worth $2.1 billion, representing a paper loss of $4.15 billion.”

New York Times: “Shortly before court adjourned for the day, Trump’s campaign sent out a fundraising email falsely claiming he had just stormed out of court.”

New York Times: “Of the 96 possible jurors brought into the room, more than 50 raised their hands to say they couldn’t be fair. They were immediately excused.”

“The opening day of Donald Trump’s criminal trial delved deep into his tabloid-fueled sex life, as lawyers and the judge debated how many salacious details jurors should eventually hear as they decide whether he broke the law to cover up hush money payments,” the Washington Post reports.

“The historic first trial of a former U.S. president began Monday in an aging courthouse that has seen a host of high-profile cases over the years, from rap stars to movie moguls, but never one with such potential consequences for the nation and the world.”

“The dry rituals of court only made the proceedings more surreal, as New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan warned Trump he could be sent to jail if he disrupted the trial or failed to appear in court, and prosecutors said they would seek to hold Trump in contempt even before a single potential juror had been questioned.”

A federal judge upheld the jury’s defamation verdict against Rudy Giuliani in a 48-page opinion.

“Trump Media & Technology Group, the Truth Social parent company majority-owned by former president Donald Trump, filed a document with the Securities and Exchange Commission this morning that helpfully details all of the ways Trump himself poses a threat to the company and its shareholders,” Wired reports.

Wall Street Journal: “The former president has until Monday to show the financial bona fides of the $175 million bond he obtained to cover the judgment while he appeals. The New York attorney general’s office, which won the judgment after suing him for a yearslong scheme to inflate his wealth for financial gain, called the bond into question earlier this month.”

“Knight Specialty Insurance, the little-known insurer that issued Trump the bond, isn’t on a list of federally approved sureties. The attorney general’s office has demanded Trump’s lawyers or Knight prove the suretor’s qualifications, including detailing how it is financially solvent and specifying what Trump assets are backing the bond.”

Politico: “Justice Juan Merchan’s trial schedule — driven by his habit of using Wednesdays to deal with other court business, as well as the Passover holiday — means Donald Trump’s trial will meet on seven days in April. On two of those days, court will adjourn early. Nearly all days are likely to be consumed by jury selection.”

“That means we may not get a single day of substantive testimony — or even opening arguments — until May.”

Some quick math: “Trial will be in session on April 16, 18 and 19 this week. Plus, the two shortened days on April 22 and 23. Then full trial days on April 25 and 26 before the trial recesses until May 2.”

The judge in Donald Trump’s “hush money” trial “issued a stark warning that if he fails to show up for trial without a reason a warrant will be issued for his arrest,” NBC News reports.

Said Judge Juan Merchan: “If you deliberately fail to appear in court when required, then any proceeding in your case, including hearing, trial and, if you are convicted, sentence, can and will continue in your absence. A warrant for your arrest will be issued and you will be subject to separate prosecution and separate punishment for bail jumping no matter what happens in this case. Do you understand?”