'A different standard of law': Expert says legal system is struggling to rein in Trump

Former President Donald Trump's recent outburst in court — that led to a judge slapping him with a $10,000 fine and Trump storming out of the courtroom without warning — prompted a startling observation from a legal expert.

On Wednesday, Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the New York civil trial in which Trump's company is accused of fudging the value of his assets to illegally obtain preferential tax breaks and insurance rates, fined the former president for violating a gag order for the second time. Engoron called Trump to the stand to explain comments about "a person who's very partisan sitting alongside" Engoron.

While Trump and his lawyers said the comment was referring to former Trump fixer Michael Cohen on the witness stand, Engoron said Trump was "not credible" and imposed the fine.

Notre Dame law school professor Jimmy Gurule told the Associated Press Wednesday that while a $10,000 fine may seem insufficient for a man who flew to his court appearance in his own private jet, holding Trump accountable in court is difficult, considering his status as a former president of the United States and a leading 2024 presidential candidate.

Gurule added that because Trump lives under "a different standard of law" than other typical defendants, a stricter punishment like jail time for contempt of court is a logistical nightmare for an ex-president that requires 24-hour Secret Service protection.

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"It’s really a new frontier for the legal system, and the legal system is really struggling with how to control this man who has no respect for the rule of law," Gurule said.

However, Loyola law school professor Laurie Levenson, who is also a former federal prosector, said Trump's aura of impunity could end up backfiring on him as he faces a litany of criminal trials in 2024.

"For some people, this is what they like about Trump — that he doesn’t back down, he pushes against others and he is his own master. But in the world of the courts, the rules are different," Levenson told the AP. "If he disregards orders of the court, then it may add to the argument that he was disregarding other laws as well."

"By his actions, he’s messaging that the laws don’t apply to me. And that’s problematic because a good prosecutor — and I think Jack Smith is a good prosecutor — can use that at the right time against him," she added.

READ MORE: Expert: Trump 'literally making the case a gag order is necessary' with late-night Mark Meadows rant

In addition to Engoron's gag order, Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing Trump's criminal proceedings in Washington, DC, also imposed a gag order that prevented Trump from attacking potential witnesses, trial participants, or staff. Chutkan's gag order was temporarily paused, but Special Counsel Jack Smith is asking her to reinstate it in the wake of Trump's recent attack on former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who testified before Smith's grand jury earlier this year.