Addressing the new group of 96 prospective jurors, Judge Merchan asked for a show of hands "if you believe you cannot be fair and impartial."

Forty-eight people -- half the pool -- raised their hands.

Those potential jurors were then excused from the courtroom as Trump turned around to stare at those behind him.

A new group of 96 prospective jurors has entered the courtroom for the next round of jury selection.

Several in the group registering surprise upon seeing Trump at the defense table.

As Judge Merchan delivered his opening remarks, Trump’s eyes often remained closed. He appeared more attentive when Merchan ticked through the names of potential witnesses, which read like a Who’s Who of the Trump family, campaign and administration.

Following the loss of Juror. No. 2, attorneys are now discussing an issue with yet another juror -- Juror No. 4 -- after Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass said the the DA's team did research that "possibly called into question the veracity" of the answers he gave on the jury questionnaire.

Steinglass said a person with the same name as Juror No. 4 -- the Puerto Rican man who said he found Trump "fascinating and mysterious" -- had been arrested in the 1990s in Westchester for "tearing down political advertisements."

“I actually believe the propaganda that was being ripped down was political posters that were on the right -- the political right," Steinglass said.

He suggested that Juror No. 4's answer to question 19 on the questionnaire -- if you have ever been accused or convicted of committing a crime -- then "was not accurate."

Steinglass added they discovered the juror's wife had been embroiled in a "corruption inquiry" that resulted in her "entering in a differed prosecution agreement ... with the Manhattan DA's office."

Steinglass said they felt they were "ethically and legally obligated to bring this information to the court."

Judge Merchan said he instructed Juror No. 4 to be in court at 9:15, but he still has not shown up.

Trump attorney Todd Blanche said he did not consent to dismissing the juror without first hearing from him. They will revisit the issue later.

Prosecutors are now bringing up what they say are more violations of the limited gag order on former President Trump.

Since they last brought up the issue earlier this week, Trump violated the gag order seven more times, prosecutors claimed.

"It's ridiculous, it has to stop," they said.

Prosecutors said they would like to discuss the seven new posts at the hearing on the matter that is scheduled next week.

"We are asking you to hold the defendant in contempt," they said.

But they indicated they could seek harsher penalties than just financial penalties, saying they are still "considering their options."

Trump attorney Emil Bove pushed back, saying the posts "don't establish there were any willful violations."

According to former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, Michael Cohen pushed for the National Enquirer to keep doorman Dino Sajudin locked into a contract until after the 2016 election, even though the story Sajudin was shopping about Trump having a love child were untrue.

"I told Michael Cohen the story was not true. I told him that the doorman is very difficult to deal with," Pecker testified.

Cohen had earlier encouraged Pecker to add a $1 million penalty to Sajudin's contract if he broke the agreement and tried to shop around the story.

"He would breach this agreement and owe American Media a million dollars," Pecker said. "It was basically a lever over him to make sure that wouldn't happen."

Cohen encouraged Pecker to keep Sajudin locked in, according to the former publisher.

"I am going release him one way or the other," Pecker said he told Cohen regarding Sajudin. "He said, 'No, release him after the election.'"

"When was he released?" prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Pecker.

"December 9, 2016," Pecker said.

"After the presidential election?" Steinglass asked.

"Yes," Pecker responded.