Day 4 of Trump New York hush money trial

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.

A man lit himself on fire outside the courthouse where the Trump trial is underway, New York City Police Department officials said.

NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey B. Maddrey said the man walked into the center of Collect Pond Park, which is directly across from the courthouse. He opened his backpack and took out pamphlets that he scattered in the park before setting himself on fire.

A CNN team on the ground observed one of the flyers. It said "NYU is a mob front" and had various allegations of wrongdoings against the school.

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.

At least one person used a fire extinguisher to try to put out the blaze, and an EMT rushed up to the man and tried to render aid, according to CNN's Laura Coates, who narrated the scene unfolding in front of her outside the courthouse.

This post has been updated with details from New York City Police Department officials.

The five remaining alternate jurors were sworn in Friday, meaning the full jury panel has now been seated in the hush money trial against Donald Trump.

There are 12 jurors and six alternates who will hear the case against the former president.

Opening statements are expected to start Monday.

Here’s a recap:

The judge said there will be a Sandoval hearing after the lunch break around 3:15 p.m. ET. That routine hearing will address Trump’s criminal history and assess how much prosecutors can ask if a defendant testifies.