I'm not flaming you--you're right. If this had gone to court as a simple case of harassing behavior by the kid, the media would have laughed at the old guy as intolerant, ultraconservative, mean-spirited, etc. After the trial, every punk in town would be walking across the guy's lawn.
...the media would have laughed at the old guy as intolerant, ultraconservative, mean-spirited, etc.
Yes, now the entire world is laughing at him as an "out of his mind, raving lunatic murderous wacko." That's soo much better.