Sooooo, has no one here actually read the article? Everyone is attacking the ex-wife, her corrupt cop husband, an insane legal system... but:

Jackson says in 2013 when his daughter was 12, he discovered a text on her phone he found "rude" regarding another woman, so he took it away.

Ok, sensible.

His ex-wife said she owned the phone and reported the confiscation as theft.

Ok that is unreasonable, I am sure he would return it after his daughter learned her lesson in a day or two.

Jackson refused to return it.

Huh? I get why he wouldn't return it to the daughter, but the ex was claiming ownership and she was demanding it be returned to her. Not sure why he wouldn't return the phone to the ex, but I suppose it is understandable since she would likely immediately give it back to the daughter.

Jackson was given a citation and plenty of opportunity to hand over the phone, according to police. He refused to pay.

That is going really far just for him trying to keep the phone from his daughter for a few days.

Although, it doesn't seem sane to keep the phone for it's rightful owner when the police have taken up the case are taking legal action against you for it.

A year and a half later, a warrant was issued and Jackson was charged with misdemeanor theft.

Wait, what?

Jackson went to court and successfully fought the citation involving his now-15-year-old daughter. Jackson also kept the cellphone.

So he disciplined his daughter by talking his ex's phone for 3 years? That phone is pretty much worthless now.

Sorry, but it would seem that the guy stole his ex-wife's phone from his daughter's hands on some random pretext because he didn't want his daughter to have a phone owned by his ex, then kept the phone for 3 years now...