MP5, that's an awesome story!
Always fight a ticket if it's at all convenient. At the very least you'll have fun knowing that the state probably lost money on your ticket when you take the judge and cop's time into account.
Additionally, if the officer doesn't show up, they dismiss your ticket. This is more common than you think... it happened to me a couple of years ago. The reality of the situation is that traffic cops are revenue generators for many cities. As a result, is it a better use of their time to stay hiding behind bushes giving out more tickets or wasting a couple of hours in court to close the deal on a small number of people who bother to fight them?
If the cop does show up in court, you're basically screwed since the cop and the magistrate/judge probably know each other well and are much more versed on the laws than you are. However, as someone else mentioned, it's not as if they double the fine if you protest.
Best of luck!