My problems with this setup

They push the "small town corruption/rich local influencer" angle to make Avery's search for justice seem impossible -- censored news, sheriff that won't press charges, etc.

But Avery was a local businessman and well known around town, and he would have credibility with a lot of people. And Danny's sociopathic personality would be well known. Sizemore's influence would not be able to shut down the rumor on the street that his kid killed a well-known local businessman's dog in cold blood, and its a rumor people would believe at face value. Sizemore wasn't "running the town" like it was the movie Road House or Billy Jack or something.

And at the point Danny tried to take a baseball bat to him, with all those witnesses? You'd press charges and no realistic amount of corruption is going to get "assault with a deadly weapon" charges dropped that easily, and once charged anything that happens to Avery is going to automatically look like suspicious retaltiation.