The litigants were incredulous. The attorneys bickered a bit. And a judge said he was "dubious" over one side's claims.

All textbook courtroom stuff, except for this: They had gathered in the hallowed halls of justice to scrutinize the sobering matter of whether a local real estate agent was sinister or simply sarcastic when she wrote about hitting golf balls into an Omaha man's pool and windows.

The homeowner called it a crime. The real estate agent called it a joke. The judge called it a day.

Saying he was "dubious" of the homeowner's need for a restraining order, Douglas County District Judge Timothy Burns nonetheless took the matter under advisement last week - and allowed attorneys to file written briefs on the matter.

He'll most likely rule by the end of the month on whether to grant homeowner Eric Marsh's request that a nearby homeowner and real estate agent, Julie Tartaglia, stay at least 200 yards from Marsh's property in the Fire Ridge Estates neighborhood near 192nd and Pacific Streets.