In a filing released on Wednesday, prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office made their intentions clear: if former President Donald Trump decides to testify at his New York criminal trial, they are prepared to use his checkered legal history to undermine his credibility before the jury.

The prosecutors outlined several key incidents that they intend to question Trump about if he takes the stand. These include recent legal battles, such as the civil fraud trial with the New York attorney general, where a judge found Trump and his company liable for engaging in persistent and repeated fraud. The allegations claimed that Trump and his team inflated the value of assets to secure more favorable loan rates.

Moreover, prosecutors want to probe Trump about the accusations of false testimony he provided during the aforementioned trial in November. This raises questions about Trump's credibility and the veracity of his statements made under oath.

Another area of focus will be the case involving E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of rape in 1996 and subsequent defamation when she went public with her allegations in 2019. Trump has been ordered to pay nearly $90 million in damages by a jury who found in favor of Carroll.

Additionally, the prosecutors point to Trump's dismissed lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, which was deemed frivolous and in bad faith. They also intend to delve into the dissolution of the Donald J. Trump Foundation as a result of a settlement with the New York attorney general. These instances speak to Trump's litigious history and raise questions about his judgment and motivations.

Furthermore, the prosecutors plan to question Trump about his company's conviction for tax fraud in 2022. This case, tried by the District Attorney's office before Judge Juan Merchan, highlights Trump's legal entanglements and potential misconduct within his organization.

To determine the extent of cross-examination permissible, Judge Merchan has scheduled a Sandoval hearing, a standard preliminary proceeding that reviews a defendant's criminal history. This hearing will determine which entities, numbers, and dates connected to Trump's past legal issues can be brought up by the prosecutors during trial.

Merchan has stated that if jury selection concludes in a timely manner, the Sandoval hearing may take place in court on Friday, allowing the defense and prosecution to debate what information can be introduced during Trump's potential testimony. However, the timeline for completing jury selection remains uncertain.

As the trial proceeds, the inclusion of Trump's background and past legal troubles could have a significant impact on the perception of his credibility within the courtroom. The thorough examination of these prior incidents seeks to establish a context that may influence the jury's perception of the former president's trustworthiness and the validity of his statements.