That's a tough one...For me it would depend on how egregious the offense was that evening. If there was light traffic or if it was shortly after a yellow with no other cars in motion I'd be more likely to let it go under the circumstances. If he blew the light in traffic with no regard for the safety of others I might not let him off so easy.

That said I think officers need to weigh the circumstances with the offense and make an appropriate determination.