Trump trial: 1st week of testimony ends with testimony from Cohen's former banker

A prospective juror was promptly excused after he explained he was born and raised in Italy, where he said the media has a "strong association" between Donald Trump and scandal-plagued former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi that would prevent him from being fair.

"Now that I'm sitting here, it's going to be hard for me to retain my impartiality and fairness," the man said before he was excused.

Court subsequently recessed for lunch, with the questioning of potential jurors scheduled to resume after the break.

After losing two jurors, the selection process is stretching on this afternoon with prospective jurors standing up one-by-one to read the questionnaire.

"This is so bizarre," said a Long Island native when time came for her turn.

The woman is married with two children and has served on a jury three times before. She said her son is some sort of rating analyst, but conceded, "I don't actually know what he does."

Defense attorney Todd Blanche appeared to laugh at that answer. Donald Trump did not.

In response to the question of whether she can put aside bias, the prospective juror answered, "Yes, I will be unbiased. I will be very impartial."

Trump has appeared at times interested in some of the jurors as they work through their questionnaires. As one woman read her answers out loud, Trump turned his body to face her, slid is arm over the back of his chair, and crossed one leg over the other, listening.

Judge Juan Merchan has excused Juror No. 4 after he returned to the courtroom to speak with the judge.

There are now five jurors seated, after Juror No. 2 was excused earlier.

Judge Merchan said the man "expressed annoyance" at how much personal information about him had been publicized.

Trump looked on from his seat, alone, as the attorneys spoke to the judge.

The judge said the sidebar discussion would be sealed and omitted from the daily transcript.

Juror No. 4, who the DA's office said apparently failed to disclose prior encounters with the judicial system when he was picked for the jury, returned to the courtroom where he was questioned by Judge Merchan and attorneys for the two sides.

The discussion took place at the bench, out of earshot, in a private sidebar. Trump remained seated.

Assistant District Attorney Josh Steinglass questioned the juror, a grandfather originally from Puerto Rico who earlier indicated he found Trump "fascinating."

At one point, the juror broke out laughing. Defense attorney Todd Blanche also appeared to be laughing.

The man was then escorted from the courtroom, after which the judge said he would give the attorneys a few minutes to discuss the circumstances with the juror, who prosecutors determined had ripped down political posters in Westchester County in the 1990s. The posters leaned to the "political right," Steinglass had said.

There was also a prior deferred prosecution agreement the juror's wife entered into with the Manhattan district attorney's office, which he also failed to disclose while responding to the jury questionnaire.