“City officials had reassured him that he could put the planter at Ford’s gravesite unless there was a complaint. Then he discovered that a complaint had been filed “
Ten times he placed wooden planter boxes that became rotten litter the father had to clean up.
He was asked not to and after nine the complaint was filed
[Ten times he placed wooden planter boxes that became rotten litter the father had to clean up.]
Maybe the father could have been less of a doosh and offered to collaborate with the fiance on a meaningful memorial that both could be on board with....
If this is correct it helps to make more sense out of the story, but it should still never have gotten to the "conviction" phase. The judge should have told him to clean it up and stop doing it and then the judge should have dismissed the case.
Or possibly you are incorrect.