Agree with you on all points.
A couple years ago I got my first ticket since 1982 for a burned-out headlight, which is a discretionary ticket on the officer’s part.
I went to traffic court to appeal it and got off because the officer made a mistake writing it out.
But of all the people in court that night, only one person was there for drunk driving: a white kid with a rich daddy.
Everybody else was a cash-strapped minority who had some old violation they hadn’t been able to pay off, so the fines were compounded, and eventually their licenses revoked. The net result was they didn’t even have the means to go to work, after the “justice” system had put them a couple thousand dollars in debt for what started out as petty violations like mine.
I felt like a schmuck for even disputing my ticket.
Bingo!
The key is; They are not wrong but a procedural process was not followed. Just trying to help.
Those are known as "fix it tickets" here in NC. Go get the light repaired, provide proof of the repair and the ticket is rescinded. Don't and you pay the fine. Fail to appear and you'll have a warrant for your arrest. Simple enough to avoid trouble, all anyone has to do is just do what they should've done all along.