[volkl48]

Depends on where you are I suppose. Where I got a ticket once (Upstate NY) and it was an official policy.

If you have not had more than X tickets in Y years and choose to contest it, they would knock down minor moving violations to no-points non-moving violations, and they will knock down moderately serious (ex: tailgating, 20mph over the limit on the highway) ones to minor. You didn't need a lawyer and you didn't need any justification/evidence if you wanted to take that deal.

[emodendroket]

I live in Massachusetts and after the experience I did some reading. It seems that magistrates have a job for life with little scrutiny and frequently dole out favors to people they know. So in this respect a lawyer might have been a wiser decision.