Jury selection is continuing — and could conclude — Friday in former President Donald Trump's historic New York criminal trial.

With a full 12-person jury and one alternate juror sworn in Thursday

Judge Juan Merchan has called a pool of 96 potential jurors to his Manhattan courtroom in hope of finding five more alternate jurors for the first trial of a former president, which is expected to last roughly six weeks.

The morning began with the judge calling up the 22 remaining potential jurors

The morning began with the judge calling up the 22 remaining potential jurors from the previous pool to answer questions designed to indicate whether they could be fair and impartial about the divisive real estate mogul and presumptive Republican nominee for president.

Trump appears most interested in jurors whose answers offer ambiguity around their personal political views

Trump appears most interested in jurors whose answers offer ambiguity around their personal political views. When one prospective juror said they were a Fox News viewer, Trump cocked his head, then quickly conferred with his lawyer, Todd Blanche.

Prosecutors this week asked the judge to fine Trump and hold him in contempt for social media posts

Prosecutors this week asked the judge to fine Trump and hold him in contempt for social media posts that they said violate the gag order. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Tuesday.

If the effort to fill the jury box is successful, opening statements could take place as soon as Monday

If the effort to fill the jury box is successful, opening statements could take place as soon as Monday.

Brief context

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office disclosed in a court filing that it would like to ask Trump about several items, among them the $464 million civil judgment against him and his company for fraud, the total $88 million verdicts and liability findings for sexual abuse and defamation in lawsuits brought by writer E. Jean Carroll and a number of other adverse court rulings over the past few years.