A deaf-mute woman accused of talking on her mobile phone while at the wheel of her car won an appeal against the traffic violation charge on Wednesday.
Maria Bartoccini faced a 68-euro fine and the loss of five points from her driving licence after police thought they had spotted her chatting on the phone while driving.
A Rome judge cancelled the fine and ordered Rome city council to pay legal fees because of the police error, noting that mistaken identity of the driver was not relevant in the case since Bartoccini's husband, who often drives the car, is also deaf-mute.
''Everyone can make a mistake, even the police,'' said Bartoccini's lawyer Diego Perugini.
