LAKE WORTH BEACH, FLORIDA | PUBLIC SAFETY | November 6, 2026
Quick Take
- A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy gave a driver a $116 distracted-driving ticket, saying he saw her holding a phone in her right hand.
- The driver, adaptive athlete Katie Thomas, was born without a right hand and fought the ticket in court.
- The deputy later asked the court to dismiss the case for insufficient evidence, and her court date was cancelled.
What happened at the traffic stop?
Body camera footage shows the deputy walking up to Katie Thomas’s car. He tells her she drove past him holding a phone in her right hand and “manipulating that phone.”
Thomas, 36, laughed and lifted her right arm, which has no hand. “Obviously not,” she said, and then asked if he wanted to just call it a day.
The deputy kept going. He asked her to swear “hand to God” that she had not been using her phone. When she raised her right arm again, he asked her to raise her other hand instead. The stop ended with a $116 citation.
Where and when did it happen?
The stop happened on February 11, 2026, on North Dixie Highway. At the time, the city of Lake Worth Beach was running a distracted-driving operation with the sheriff’s office.
Thomas pleaded not guilty and contested the ticket instead of paying it. Before her court date, she posted the bodycam clip online. The video spread quickly and has passed 39.5 million views.
Court records show that on May 27, 2026, the deputy asked the court to dismiss the ticket for insufficient evidence. Her court hearing, set for the following Tuesday, was cancelled.
Why was the ticket questioned?
The physical problem is plain in the video, but there was also a legal one. The ticket was written under Florida Statute 316.305(3)(a). That law targets typing or entering letters, numbers or symbols into a device while driving.
Attorney Ted Hollander of The Ticket Clinic said that simply holding a phone is illegal only in school zones and construction zones. He said neither box was checked on Thomas’s citation, so it would not have mattered which hand held the phone.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the deputy made the stop based on what he saw at the time. It said the case was dropped after a further review of the state law and the full circumstances. It added that drivers have the right to contest citations in court.
What should Florida drivers know?
Florida’s texting-while-driving law is narrower than many people think. Typing, texting or emailing behind the wheel can get you a ticket anywhere. Just holding a phone is a separate offense, and only in school zones and active construction zones.
If you get a ticket you believe is wrong, you do not have to pay it. You can plead not guilty and ask for a hearing, where the officer’s account and any video can be reviewed. Dashcam footage, or asking for the officer’s bodycam video, can make a big difference.
What comes next?
For Thomas, the case is closed. Speaking on national television on May 29, 2026, she said she has no ill will toward the deputy and that the two simply got off on the wrong foot.
She still shares her training as an adaptive athlete and Hyrox competitor on her social media account, @slightlyoff.balance. Her story is being reshared widely, and many drivers are using it to learn what Florida’s distracted-driving law actually covers.
By the Numbers
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Citation amount | $116 |
| Traffic stop date | February 11, 2026 |
| Dismissal request | May 27, 2026 |
| Video views | 39.5 million+ |
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