Day 4 of Trump New York hush money trial

New York City police said the man who lit himself on fire outside the courthouse where Donald Trump’s trial is taking place threw pamphlets that “seemed to be propaganda based,” according to the chief of detectives.

Joseph Kenny described them as “almost a conspiracy-theory type of pamphlet.”

The papers contained “information in regards to Ponzi schemes and the fact that our local education institutes are fronts for the mob,” Kenny said. “So a little bit of conspiracy theory going on there.”

He said police would go through the man’s social media accounts during their investigation. Kenny said he was not aware that the man had any criminal history in New York and was not known to detectives before the incident.

Chief Jeffrey Maddrey of the New York Police Department said Friday afternoon that the department is "of course" going to review security protocols after a man set himself on fire outside the courtroom where former President Donald Trump's hush money trial is taking place.

Maddrey clarified that the man did not breach security protocols as the park was open to the public.

Tarik Sheppard, the deputy commissioner of public information for the department, said that while he cannot share conversations had with Secret Service, "everyone involved in the trial inside is aware of the incident that took place outside today."

Law enforcement ratcheted up security for the trial with a sophisticated and multilayered plan, officials previously told CNN.

The man who lit himself on fire outside the Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump's criminal trial is unfolding is in critical condition, police said on Friday.

New York Police Department Chief of Department Jeffrey B. Maddrey said the man is in Cornell Burn Unit.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said police have not determined if the incident was related to Trump’s trial. He said the man did post about the incident on social media and that his internet presence will be part of the ongoing investigation.

Maddrey said the man walked into the center of Collect Pond Park, which is directly across from the courthouse where Trump is on trial. He opened his backpack and took out pamphlets that he scattered in the park.

The man then fell into a police barrier and onto the ground, he said. People and officers in the area tried to put the fire out using their coats and fire extinguishers, Maddrey said.

This post has been updated with additional information from officials.

Prosecutors are in the courtroom. Former President Donald Trump also walked in with his attorneys and took his seat.

Trump is now chatting with his attorney Todd Blanche, who is seated to his left, before the judge enters.

Kaz Daughtry, the New York Police Department deputy commissioner of operations, said on X there are no public safety threats following what police are referring to as an “incident” outside the courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial. 

A man lit himself on fire outside of the courthouse, two law enforcement sources confirmed to CNN earlier Friday.

After throwing pamphlets into the air, the man poured gasoline from multiple containers over the top of his head, another senior law enforcement officer told CNN. 

The man was carrying two large signs — one advertising a Substack and one that said "Trump is with Biden and they're about to fascist coup us" — photos provided by two law enforcement officials show. The one advertising the Substack had a driver's license that officials believe belonged to the man taped to the corner. 

The NYPD is expected to brief news media outside the courthouse shortly.

Donald Trump faces a Sandoval hearing this afternoon, opening the door for the former president to testify at his criminal trial as his defense team gauges the risk of letting him take the stand.

A Sandoval hearing involves an examination of the defendant's criminal history. It is required under New York law when a defendant plans to testify in their own trial and is meant as an indicator of whether it would be a good idea for them to take the stand.

During the proceedings, both sides will discuss what prosecutors would be allowed to ask Trump on cross-examination. It's not yet clear whether the former president will testify.

The hearing is set to begin at 3:15 p.m. ET.

A New York appeals court is hearing arguments Friday afternoon over Donald Trump's motion to change venue, according to two sources.

Last week, Trump had asked the appeals court to stop the trial so they could argue over a change of venue saying he couldn't get a fair trial in Manhattan.

An appellate judge denied the motion. The full panel is hearing Trump's challenge over a change of venue.

The hearing comes an hour after jury selection was completed in the criminal trial. A panel of 12 jurors and six alternates were seated Friday afternoon. Jury selection began on Monday.

Jury consultant Renato Stabile weighed in on the makeup of the jury after the selection process wrapped Friday afternoon.

"For sure alternates are going come into play because in a case like this, you're going to lose some of the regular jurors," he told CNN chief legal analyst Laura Coates.

Now that jury selection is complete, Stabile says lawyers on both sides will be monitoring the jurors' social media posts to make sure they don't comment publicly on the case.

The jury also includes at least two lawyers, a "very unusual" move that Stabile says is a big gamble.

Having people with legal expertise on the jury could pose a risk for either side.

It could negatively affect the prosecution by diverting clarifying questions that would otherwise go to the judge, Coates said. But lawyers on the jury could be beneficial to the defense, as they might be able to raise questions about the burden of proof that might otherwise go unasked. 

Although Donald Trump has been accused by the Manhattan district attorney's office of violating his gag order at least 10 times, the consequences for the former president might be minimal, CNN legal analyst Elie Honig told Kate Bolduan on Friday morning.

In a hearing Tuesday, Judge Juan Merchan will have to decide between fining Trump up to $1,000 per violation and imprisoning him for up to 30 days.

Honig noted that it's a problem for trial management and courtroom order and could eventually become an issue for Trump as well.

Earlier today, Trump said outside the courtroom that the gag order "has to come off," telling reporters that he "should be allowed to speak."

Remember: A gag order was issued by Merchan in late March to stop Trump from making statements about witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff or the family members of prosecutors and court staff.