New York appeals court judges signaled Thursday they may be willing to limit the nine-figure judgment against former President Donald Trump and his business associates, questioning the New York attorney general’s office during a hearing and suggesting concerns that the litigation over whether Trump fraudulently misstated the value of his assets may have gone beyond what the state can legally do.

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump and New York Attorney General Letitia James faced questions Thursday in his $478 million civil fraud appeal.

Donald Trump's lawyers on Thursday will seek to persuade a New York state appeals court to toss a nearly half-billion dollar judgment against the former U.S. president over real estate business practices a court has declared fraudulent.

Manhattan appellate judges voiced skepticism Thursday over the state AG's 'mission creep' and lack for "guardrails" in pursuing the GOP frontrunner.

Judges on a New York appeals court were open-minded and receptive to the possibility of reversing or reducing the civil fraud judgment against former President Trump.

The panel voiced concern that the case brought by the New York attorney general overreached.

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump and his company argued that an appeals panel should throw out the February ruling in his civil fraud case.

By Jack Queen and Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Appeals court judges signaled skepticism on Thursday toward the civil fraud case brought by New York state against Donald Trump as the former president asked them to toss a nearly half-billion dollar judgment against him over real estate business practices that a trial judge declared fraudulent.