The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s hush money case has called prospective jurors into the courtroom as the first criminal trial of a former president begins.

Judge Juan Merchan summoned jurors into court on Monday afternoon after hearing hours of pretrial arguments.

The process involves selecting 12 jurors, plus six alternates.

Trump’s notoriety would make that a difficult task in any year, but it is likely to be especially challenging now, unfolding in a closely contested presidential election in the city where Trump grew up and catapulted to celebrity status before winning the White House.