DC Cops Drop Littering Ticket —for Toddler

City officials in Washington are tearing up a littering citation issued to a toddler, reports the AP. Harper Westover, age 2, received a "Notice of Violation" Thursday from the Department of Public Works, reports the Washington Post, with a $75 fine. Her mom, attorney Theresa Westover, also received a citation. She called a solid waste inspector who told her a city worker had found unopened envelopes with her name and Harper's name in an alley. Westover says the inspector refused to rescind Harper's ticket, even amid assurances that they're not a family of litterbugs.

“The inspector’s response was there was a piece of trash in the alley with Harper’s name on it. I said, ‘I understand that, but she’s only 2 years old. Are you willing to rescind the ticket?’ She said ‘No,’?” Westover recalled. “They list Harper as a ‘violator.’ As a mom, it bothered me.” The case drew ridicule after Westover's husband, Chuck, posted about it online, notes the Post, complete with hashtag #FreeHarper. A Public Works official stopped by the family's home Friday just as Theresa Westover was about to do a TV interview. He said he would drop both tickets. (More littering stories.)