As court got underway this morning, Judge Engoron -- who has said he has received harassing messages regarding his role in the trial -- did not address Trump's sharing of a post on his Truth Social platform calling for his arrest.

The former president yesterday shared a user's post calling for the "citizens arrest" of Engoron and Attorney General Letitia James "for blatant election interference and harassment."

When he expanded the case's limited gag order earlier this month, Engoron said that his chambers had received hundreds of "harassing and threatening phone calls, voicemails, emails, letters, and packages" since the start of the trial.

The gag order does not prohibit attacks against Engoron himself or the New York attorney general.

Donald Trump's defense team plans to call their first of several expert witnesses to the stand today.

Steven Witkoff, a New York-based real estate investor and developer, is set to testify about his expert opinion that the Trump National Doral golf course in Miami was undervalued in Trump's financial statement, despite the attorney general's claim to the contrary.

The expert report Witkoff prepared for the case also criticized the finding from the state's expert regarding the value of Trump's 40 Wall Street property.

During a 2018 roundtable on tax reform, Trump called Witkoff a "pal" who he inspired to enter the real estate industry.

"You know, people don't realize Steve started out as a lawyer -- a very good lawyer, a top lawyer in New York. And then he said, 'I'm going to go into the real estate business because I can do this, too," Trump said. "He saw me do it, and he said, 'If Trump can do it, I guess I can do it, right?'"

In a video statement posted to social media, New York Attorney General Letitia James said that the testimony of Donald Trump Jr. yesterday failed to refute any of her case against Donald Trump and his adult sons.

"After spending a full day walking through a marketing presentation to sell us all on the greatness of the Trump Organization, the defendants did not make a single point to refute the case we brought against them," James said of Trump Jr., who led off the defense's case.

Trump's eldest son, an executive VP with the family firm, functionally served as a summary witness to explain the history and notable assets of the Trump Organization, repeatedly using words like "spectacular" and "incredible" to spell out the details of Trump's properties.

James, meanwhile, drew the ire of Donald Trump for appearing to smile in court.

"A.G. Letitia James is smirking all day long from her seat in Court, as New York continues to set records in murder and other violent crimes, and businesses flee to other States," Trump wrote on Truth Social this morning, despite murders in New York City being down nearly 10% this year according to the NYPD.

The defense wrapped up the first day of its case with testimony from Donald Trump's former external tax lawyer, Sheri Dillon, who returned to the witness stand to clarify her actions related to conservation easements at Trump's properties.

Dillon previously testified during a lengthy and combative portion of the state's case.

"Welcome back. I feel like I am at a reunion -- Trump trial reunion," Judge Engoron joked when Dillon returned to the courtroom.

Dillon, explaining a potential gap in email communications about specific deals, testified that she often communicated with Eric Trump over the phone.

"If I picked up the phone and talked to him, I would know he knew what he needed to know," Dillon testified.

She also said she advised Trump's appraiser, David McArdle, that the company could add 40 additional residential units at Trump National Golf Club in New York's Westchester County by filing a new offering plan, according to an email shown in court. The clarification challenges the New York attorney general's allegation that a $101 million increase in the value of undeveloped land was based on an unfounded plan by Eric Trump to add units to the property.

During a short cross-examination, state attorney Louis Solomon attempted to challenge Dillon's authority to provide such legal information to McArdle.

"Do you know if a sponsor has a right to have an offering plan accepted for filing merely because the development meets the requirements for zoning?" Solomon asked.

"No, I do not," she responded.

Dillon concluded her testimony, and court then adjourned for the day.

Doug Larson's name appears across five years of Donald Trump's financial documents, according to records entered into evidence.

A longtime professional appraiser with the real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, Larson was cited in Trump Organization documents as an expert at valuing properties like 40 Wall Street, Trump Tower, and an adjoining retail space called "Niketown." Spreadsheets entered as evidence explicitly reference multiple phone calls with Larson between 2013 and 2017.

When asked about these phone calls in court, Larson testified that no such conversations occurred.

"Is it fair to say that Mr. Trump valued Trump Tower at $526 million in conjunction with you?" state attorney Mark Ladov asked Larson.

"No, that is incorrect," Larson said.

"Were you aware that Mr. McConney was citing you as a valuation source in his work papers?" Ladov asked.

"No, I was not," replied Larson, who said he did not assist Trump Organization executives in valuing Trump Tower, Niketown, or 40 Wall Street, despite Trump's paperwork referencing him as a source.

Evidence presented by the state instead suggested that the valuations were determined using cherry-picked metrics from a generic email Larson sent clients.

"It's a way to get your name out to clients for potential work," Larson said about one such "email blast" that was used in a Trump Tower valuation.

Larson added that the valuations Trump Organization executives determined based on "consultation" with him used flawed methodologies, such as using capitalization rates related to office buildings to appraise the retail Niketown building.

"It doesn't make sense," Larson said about Niketown's $287 million valuation.

"It's inappropriate and inaccurate," Larson said about the Trump Organization relying on his name to support their valuations. "I should have been told, and appraisals should have been ordered."