Sorry man, you ran a red. At least, that's what I gathered from your story.

You got caught and you got a ticket. That's how it goes.

What would have happened if you hadn't seen a car coming when you ran the red and gotten hit? I think that would be considerably worse than a simple ticket. Hospital bills and/or funeral costs are quite a bit higher than $54...not to mention the grief that it would cause your friends, family, and this board.