Tinting the tail lights is not a "cool" mod IMO. You only look slightly "different" and it IS a safety issue not to mention a good reason for a Law Enforcement Officer to pull you over and look you over REAL good.. Soo.... WHY WOULD ANYONE DO IT?!?!.
DUH!
If I were you, I would show up for the preliminary hearing (if you have one) and ask for a trial. The cop will probably not show up for such a petty offense and you have nothing to loose by trying. If the cop does not show up (he won't), you can ask for the charge to be dismissed because the state has no witness. It works - Been there, done that and would do it again ANY TIME.
The cops have other, better things to do with thier time so why would they bother showing up at court date to fight a "decent guy" with nothing more than a bad azz car?
Hope this helps.
-Mark.