Police said there was a 57% reduction in "youth-related annoyance" compared to the three months before the trail, and a 51% fall in all anti-social type incidents, including drink-related offences, criminal damageand noise nuisance.
The judge concluded that the media hordes and "looky loos" were a nuisance but caused only minor physical damageand a temporary decline in the house's value.
Enterprising trial lawyers convinced Rhode Island and several municipalities to sue lead-paint companies under the theory their products created a nuisance by spreading lead in housing where children could ingest it and suffer brain damage.