Donald Trump is scheduled to testify in a civil trial linked to the lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James

Here are the top 10 takeaways you should keep in mind.

1- Former President Trump is scheduled to testify in a non-jury civil trial in New York today, meaning only one judge would make the final decision, Justice Arthur F. Engoron.

2- The trial is related to New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit alleging that Trump defrauded banks and inflated the value of his assets.

3- Trump has repeatedly criticized James' investigation and lawsuit, portraying them as an attack on his family and business, and one of the attempts to interefere in the 2024 presidential election.

4- Trump has also consistently denied any wrongdoing and said that his assets were undervalued, including his property in Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

5- Trump has also asserted that his financial statements included disclaimers, and he requested banks to evaluate the numbers, (which makes sense..it's like me telling banks that my house is worth 1 billion and they just accept it as a fact...never happens that way).

6- Recall that Letitia James sued Trump, his children, and the Trump Organization, accusing them of "numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation" on their financial statements.

7- The presiding judge, New York Judge Arthur Engoron, ruled in September that Trump and the Trump Organization committed fraud by overvaluing assets and exaggerating net worth, (Trump has criticized the ruling which came even before the trial began).

8- Trump maintains that his financial statements are "phenomenal" and argues that there was no victim in this case, (no bank has accused Trump of not paying back the loan and many people have argued that there is no injured party).

9- Trump appeared in court for several days during the trial and was fined $10,000 for violating a gag order imposed by Judge Engoron. The same judge also fined him $5,000 for violating the same gag order for a post on social media.

10- Today's testimony marks Trump's first public testimony amid multiple legal battles in various jurisdictions, with trials expected to begin in 2024.

My take: Like many, I'm puzzled by the essence of this case. It's difficult to accept that banks would rely solely on Trump's claims, given the disclaimers advising them to conduct their own investigations. The lenders received their loans with interest, expressed satisfaction, and didn't pursue legal action against Trump. I'm not a lawyer, but Letitia James is asserting that Trump owes New York State $250 million for securing favorable loans. The case remains complex, raising questions for some about its true motivations, possibly tied to political matters.