Cops ticketed a woman with no right hand for texting with that same hand while driving — the court’s ruling left little doubt
Being pulled over by the police for no reason can be annoying, but being ticketed even after proving yourself can be even more frustrating. In a shocking turn of events, a cop ticketed a TikTok user named Katie Thomas, who has no right hand, for texting and driving. However, the court ruling left little doubt about the outcome. On May 27, 2026, the woman shared her ordeal and the update from the court proceedings with her TikTok followers under the handle @slightlyoff.balance.
@slightlyoff.balance Merry Christmas! Tas the night before court…. #bodycam #palmbeach #court #florida ♬ original sound - slightlyoff.balance
Florida resident Thomas, a differently abled athlete, was pulled over by traffic police after she was accused of holding a phone in a hand she does not have. In the bodycam footage released earlier, a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy was seen questioning her for using the device in her right hand, while she pointed out that she did not have a right hand. However, the cop wasn't convinced and went ahead with issuing a ticket, prompting her to challenge it in court. As expected, the case was dismissed over the weekend.
A follow-up video revealed that, although the court hearing was scheduled for a later date, the case was dropped before it because prosecutors could not proceed due to "lack of evidence." Recalling the bizarre reason for the dismissal, Thomas quipped, "Bruh, we knew that already." According to Florida's wireless communications while driving law, as reported by CBS12, texting while driving is considered a primary offense, and drivers can be pulled over for that violation. As per Miami Springs, it was previously considered a secondary offense, meaning that cops could pull someone over only after they had violated another primary offense. However, the rule has changed since.
"The bill signed by Governor DeSantis made texting while driving a primary offense, thereby allowing law enforcement officers to pull motorists over and issue a citation solely for texting (including messaging, emailing, and other forms of typing on a mobile device) behind the wheel," the report noted. Soon after the update was shared by the content creator, many internet users weighed in.
@Amy shared, "Not good enough. The cop needs to come forward and explain why he couldn't just say, 'You know what, I was wrong. I'm sorry. Have a good day.' Why is it so hard for a cop to admit they're wrong sometimes?" @ShaesReading commented, "The fact that he couldn't just say 'Sorry, I clearly didn't see what I thought I saw,' and leave it at that still bothers me though." @Mike wrote, "I hope you filed a complaint against that officer and are exploring if you have any other legal avenues."
For more updates, follow @slightlyoff.balance on TikTok.