Acquittal Costs in Simple Regulatory Offense Case

The appellate court overturned a lower court decision that had shifted the costs of a defense to the private prosecutor following the acquittal of the accused in a case involving a mere regulatory offense, ruling that in such minor matters, attorney fees are only reimbursed to the accused at the expense of the private prosecutor if the case presented actual or legal difficulties justifying professional representation. The court reasoned that since the underlying facts concerning the alleged misuse of a telecommunication system were simple, despite the dispute between the parties, there was no objective necessity for legal counsel, thus obligating the acquitted party to bear its own defense costs.