Dozens of New Yorkers are now being escorted into the courtroom as prospective jurors.

Judge Merchan will deliver a summary of the case before attorneys for both parties have an opportunity to evaluate the prospective jurors' fitness to serve.

According to the pool, 96 individuals will make up the first batch to go through the laborious selection process. Merchan said approximately 200 people have been summoned to the courthouse for potential jury duty on the case.

Trump, during a lengthy break as court officials escorted jurors through security magnetometers, could be seen reclining in his chair and conversing with his attorney Todd Blanche.

Judge Merchan has issued Trump's defense team an ultimatum: Turn over their proposed defense exhibits in 24 hours or be barred from using the materials.

"You have 24 hours," Merchan said. "Anything you don't produce within 24 hours will be precluded."

Defense attorney Todd Blanche pushed back on the deadline, arguing against a prosecutor's assertion that defense withheld materials following a February exhibit deadline for "tactical reasons."

"That is completely false," Blanche said. He asked Merchan for a Wednesday deadline instead, given the demands of the trial.

Merchan declined to grant the request, highlighting the recent flurry of defense motions filed over the last few weeks.

"I don't know how you managed to get those motions out," Merchan said. "The way you choose to use your time is your business."

Judge Merchan has set a hearing on prosecutors' request to hold Trump in contempt for allegedly violating the judge's limited gag order.

After initially setting the hearing for Wednesday, April 24, he rescheduled it for Tuesday, April 23 at 9:30 a.m. ET.

The judge gave Trump's attorneys until April 19 to file their written response.

Prosecutor Christopher Conroy also asked that a copy of the order be served on Trump, and papers were then handed to Trump and defense attorney Todd Blanche at the defense table.

Judge Juan Merchan has restarted court for the afternoon proceedings following the lunch break.

Both Donald Trump and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg are in attendance.

Trump made no remarks to reporters before entering the courtroom after the break.

Donald Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche, during the contempt hearing on the limited gag order in the case, defended the former president's comments by arguing that Trump was responding to political attacks.

"President Trump does in fact know what the gag order allows him to do and not allow him to do," Blanche said. "There is no dispute that President Trump is facing a barrage of political attacks from all sides."

According to Blanche, while the limited gag order prohibits statements about a witness' potential participation in a case, Trump is allowed to make comments in response to political attacks from potential witnesses like Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels.

"They are talking about their very strong dislike of President Trump," Blanche said about a post related to former Daniels attorney Michael Avenatti's comments on Michael Cohen.

Judge Juan Merchan questioned Blanche about what exactly made Trump's response "political" in nature.

"You believe that everything Mr. Avenatti said does not relate to the trial, but the use of the word 'pardon' makes it political and in a sense authorizes your client to respond?" Merchan asked.

"It's everything. It can't just be a single word," Blanche responded.

"When your client is violating the gag, I expect more than one word," Merchan said.

Conroy asked Merchan to advise Trump that for future violations of the gag order, "incarceration is an option should it be necessary."