What's the fine for misuse of Metrolink fare media?

I normally take a train that leaves my city at 7:11 but this Monday I did not have cl until later so I took a later, less busy train, that was supposed to leave at 8:36. My dad drives me there and the train has already arrived, and I believe the clock in the car said 8:32 but it is often wrong, so I freak out that I'm going to be late for cl and run to the train. I have a ten trip p and although it would have taken me an extra 30 seconds to take it out and put it into the machine I could not afford to do that, since I had a final that I needed to get to and I did not want the doors to close on me, (had that happen many times). I figure once I'm on the train, since the conductor saw me running my *** into it, he will give me a break, or I will get off on the next stop and validate my p there. But just my freaking luck, tickets rarely ever get checked on my usual train, but on this later train an LA COUNTY SHERIFF came and checked the tickets before I could get off and validate it and I got screwed. He didn't believe me and even tried to say that I often evade payment since my p is not validated every day (um hello, I don't go to school every day). So now I have to go to court to fight the infraction, but I'm a broke college student, what is the chance that I will have to pay the fine and how much is it?