So Take Me To Court!

So, last month I wrote a ticket during street sweeping. Street sweeping: You can't park on one side of the street, one day a month, April thru November, 8am to 5pm. So on this one day, on one side of the street a citizen obviously was mad. I never saw the gentleman. But he did go to the magistrate to have the tickets canceled. I am paraphrasing the notes here:

Citizen: Cancel my street sweeping ticket, I have a pass

Magistrate: (looks up his pass) You pass is no longer valid at your location. Besides, passes dont work during street sweeping.

Citizen: Cancel my ticket because I cant get up at 8am and move my car. (Magistrate did not leave a note whether they told him he had a whole month to move his car prior to his specific sweep day)

Magistrate:Offered ticket cost reduction. Citizen wants to have a final hearing.

So I get my summons to go to court. When it was my turn to be called before the traffic judge with the citizen, the judge asks him if he was ready. He said he wanted to make a statement on why he shouldn't pay for the ticket. The judge says that she will listen to him while he or I am on the stand. But not before we are all sworn in. She again asked if he wanted to have his final hearing or he could plead guilty. And then she said he will hear his statement. He plead guilty before I was even sworn in. The judge says "Thank You Officer, you may be excused."

Original citation amount: $25
Magistrates reduction he turned down: $20
Citation + late fee+ court fees=$71
Lesson learned: unknown