You have a right to contest the ticket (in court), feel free to. You have nothing really to lose except the time you must spend going to court for it. The cop wins too in a way because he doesn't have to work that day, he gets to go to court too. It's my understanding that the worst case scenario is you have to pay it, nothing else bad will happen...

Unless you don't pay and ignore the issue, then see birdgirl's post =)