A well regarded behaviorist advised me to drop my leash if another dog comes at mine as being on a leash makes them panic. Unless she is wrong, it is not rationalization.
Your link to the dog bite law says that breaking a town or county law is simply evidence of negligence, not automatic...
My dog and I are walking in the woods off leash. We rarely see another dog there, but when we do, the etiquette is to put your dog on a leash; that almost always works.
My dog is about 3' from me when a woman and a tiny dog appear about 200' away. The dog sprints at us; the woman tried to call...