NewsNBC 6 South FloridaMay 29, 2026Miami-Dade County
Traffic ticket dismissed after deputy mistakenly accuses driver with limb difference of holding phone
A Florida woman was issued a $116 traffic ticket after a deputy claimed she was holding a cellphone in a hand she does not have. The incident, captured on body camera footage, went viral on social media before the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office requested the ticket be dismissed.
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The incident highlights a law enforcement interaction involving a person with a limb difference, resulting in a $116 that was later dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
Key Facts
- A deputy from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office pulled over Kathleen Thomas in February for allegedly holding a cellphone in her right hand.
- Thomas was born without her lower right arm and does not have a right hand.
- The deputy issued Thomas a $116 traffic ticket.
- Body camera footage of the interaction was released and shared on social media, receiving over 23 million views on TikTok.
- The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office stated the deputy initiated the stop based on his visual observation.
- The deputy requested the dismissal of the ticket on Monday, citing 'insufficient evidence'.
- The court granted the dismissal of the ticket on Tuesday.
- The Sheriff's Office stated the ticket was dismissed after a review of laws and a lack of clarity in their citation software.