Robert F. Kennedy in NY court as he fights ballot-access suit claiming he doesn't live in the state

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fought a lawsuit seeking to keep him from getting on New York's ballot as a trial opened Monday.

The lawsuit alleges that Kennedy’s nominating petition falsely said his residence was in New York’s northern suburbs while he actually has lived in Los Angeles since 2014, when he married “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Cheryl Hines.

Kennedy sat at his attorneys’ table in a court in the state capital of Albany, occasionally jotting down notes and conferring with his lawyers, as two old friends testified that he'd been their houseguest, but not their tenant, in New York's Westchester County from 2014 to 2017. Kennedy declined to comment during a court break but said he would speak to reporters after court was done for the day.

The suit seeks to invalidate his New York nominating petition. The case was brought by Clear Choice PAC, a super PAC led by supporters of Democratic President Joe Biden.

Under state election law, a judge is set to decide the case without a jury.

Kennedy, a longtime environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist, has the potential to do better than any independent presidential candidate in decades, having gained traction with a famous name and a loyal base. His campaign has said he has enough signatures to qualify in 42 states so far. His ballot drive has faced challenges and lawsuits in various states, including North Carolina and New Jersey.

Monday's first witness was David Michaelis, who testified that he used to host Kennedy regularly as a guest through 2017 at his Westchester home about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of midtown Manhattan. Michaelis was handed a court document in which Kennedy said his “friend and landlord” Michaelis requested