Opening statements to begin next week in Donald Trump hush-money case

April 19 (UPI) -- Opening statements in former President Donald Trump's New York hush-money trial are set to begin Monday.

Next week's legal drama will come after an historic and eventful week that saw the labored selection of jurors for the case on Tuesday and Thursday, as well as an incident in which a man set himself on fire outside the courthouse on Friday.

Judge Juan Merchan on Friday declared opening statements will begin Monday morning after admonishing the defense for filing pre-motion letters and motions trying to again litigate decisions he'd already made.

"I've entertained your motions. I've entertained your arguments," Merchan told Trump's team. "There's nothing else to clarify. There is nothing else to argue. We are going to have opening statements on Monday. We are starting on Monday."

An appeals court judge on Friday denied an emergency appeal from Trump's team to move the venue of the trial from Manhattan.

Trump's attorney Cliff Robert called for an interim stay in the trial and argued that seating a jury in just three days after dismissing so many potential jurors was "untenable."

Robert cited a woman who was seated Tuesday but was dismissed Thursday after she said she felt pressure from the media surrounding the case. Robert argued the publicity surrounding the case made it unfair to Trump.

Steven Wu, the district attorney's appeals lawyer, argued "jury selection has worked" and there has been a "robust process" to ensure a fair and impartial jury.

A full 12-person jury and one alternate juror were sworn in Thursday. The remaining five alternates were selected Friday.

Exiting the court room at about 5:14 p.m. EDT Friday, Trump told reporters that Merchan "wants this to go as fast as possible."

"The trial starts on Monday, which is long before a lot of people thought. The judge wants this to go as fast as possible. That's for his reasons, not for my reasons," Trump said.

Trump denounced the trial as a "witch hunt" orchestrated by his political opponents but said that he will testify.

Adding to the disruption inside the court on Friday a man unexpectedly set himself on fire outside while the trial was underway.

It happened as CNN anchor Laura Coates was reporting outside the courthouse. She first said there was an active shooter before quickly correcting that to say a man had set himself on fire.

According to the New York Times, the man doused himself with a liquid around 1:35 p.m. in Collect Pond Park across the street from the courthouse. As bright orange flames engulfed him, witnesses screamed.

Some people rushed to try to help before police officers rushed over and put out the flames.

The man threw pamphlets into the air before he set himself on fire, according to a witness.

The man was at a nearby park in an area reserved for Trump supporters when he apparently set himself on fire.

It's not known if his motive was related to the trial. He was badly burned and taken away from the scene on a stretcher.

According to reports, police ID'd the man as Maxwell Azzarello of St. Augustine, Fla., and said he is intubated and in critical condition at the Weill Cornell Medicine's burn center.

Merchan granted lawyers on both sides an additional five minutes of questioning time with potential jurors Friday.

With jury selection complete, Merchan heard from prosecutor Alvin Bragg's team Friday during a Sandoval hearing, a proceeding to inform defendant Trump regarding the scope of cross-examination questions he might face if he testifies.

In a court filing, Bragg's office said if Trump testifies, he can expect to be questioned on the $464 million civil business fraud judgment against him, and the $88 million liability court findings for sexual abuse and defamation Trump committed against E. Jean Carroll.

Trump attorney Emil Bove on Friday accused prosecutors of "piling things on" to confuse the jury about what's actually at the issue of the hush money case.

When the Sandoval hearing concluded, Merchan said he would reserve his decision until Monday.

Trump is charged with 34 felonies for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to prevent the story from affecting Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. He has pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts.