Can't answer all your points, but will give you some feedback.
"Reno" is one of my favorite Chan movies. I cannot say what makes any particular movie a favorite to me, but this is one.
Yes, Reno was the divorce capital of the nation, until other states started reforming divorce laws. Back in those days Nevada was one of, or maybe the only, place you could get a divorce, without proving in court that there was some good reason to get a divorce. It wasn't just the speed (6 weeks), but the cleanliness of the procedure that appealed. Anyone who had the money to travel to Nevada, and pay for 6 weeks rent in a hotel/dude ranch/boarding house, etc., did so.
Ms. Wells probably did try the self defense story in court. She didn't go with those scissors. Don't know how she felt after her doctor was put away, though.
