I mean, I agree with what you're saying in the normal world - but Vanessa's dialogue in
renders shows that Vanessa knows something about what's going on, which is funny because if Nika couldn't have met Vanessa because they're in different social circles... well Mila is also not part of Vanessa's world. Vanessa's making a dominant/threatening point to Mila, right at the moment Mila's world has collapsed. The point I'm making here is there is something unknown going on in Mila's life that Vanessa is using for leverage, or she's telling Mila she's not actually escaped anything, frying pan to fire. Not really so neighbourly or normal. This is one of the baselines to measure what level of danger Mila is in. Either Mario is confiding in Vanessa about the charges (plausible) or there's been something going on that we don't know of. This makes it seem much larger than charging Mila as a scapegoat.
So with that as a reference, going through your other points:
- We know nothing about Mila and Mario's interactions from Mario's side. We also don't know of any history between the families in Wollust. Is Stefan getting at Mila to hurt her mom? Anything is possible with a reveal.
- Mila's defence of Mario could be to distract Nika from doing something really stupid (which we know doesn't work in the end), knowing that the threats of what would happen if Nika touched any of them are serious.
- We have no judge or jury yet, only charges, with no set court date. I would imagine it'll be used for leverage, even if just social leverage (Oh that Stefan, he's so swell, he let that poor thief off the hook and droped charges, what a swell guy! etc)
- I'm also not suggesting he is comic relief. Definitely manipulative. The cat is evil comic relief ...unless Stefan turns out to be a werecat and SG turns into From Dusk TO Dawn part 2.
- Dana is already potentially compromised in WiaB if you consider the dialgoue between her and Mon. And Elena was
already taking cases for the (more) corrupt sides in WiaB but maybe that has changed. But it's unlikely to go that far, as I do consider it a form of social engineering Stefan wants to grandstand on. But if it was to go to court, I don't think he'd care about the money if it was to further his personal principles, or use it to hurt someone else. Who knows? He might have a lawyer on retainer, it's pretty likely.
- The pimp thing? If you consider how Vanessa eye bangs Mila just before those screen shots, I'd say it's likely and they'll offer for her charges to be dropped in return for being some kind of waitress at Leia's club - maybe Stefan owes Leia a favour. Ocean seems big on the favours being traded.