What you just did is the deal.

What do I mean? You just said that had he left the device in a bathroom it would be more reasonable to charge him with the crime. They shifted the debate over and you followed with it. Instead of arguing if a kid should be charged over leaving a clock in the bathroom, you've now given them that ground and have moved on to debating charging them for having a clock at all.

Of course, on an individual level this doesn't do much. But they are pulling this sort of trick on the whole of society. At that scale, it is not ineffective.