80 dollars is a lot of money for most people in Oklahoma. I know a teacher with a PHD that makes peanuts. An 80 dollar fine would hurt.
I worked in educational television and $80 was (still is) a lot of balloons to me.
Lawyers are going to cost a whole lot more than $80. And a whole lot more than a tail light.
I beat a tail light violation one time. I kept thanking the officer profusely for letting me know so I could go straight home and fix it. He must have gotten tired of hearing it, because after he checked my license, he just muttered ‘get it fixed’ and walked away as I thanked him again.
Somehow I think it would have turned out differently if I’d told him I was a sovereign citizen.