Research your state's statutes to see if a cop can arrest you for a busted light bulb on your POV.
Short answer: Yes, but highly unlikely. In fact, cases have been tossed because the cop arrested someone on a petty offense because they gave the cop some attitude.
Colorado Revised Statutes
16-2-101. Misdemeanor and petty offense procedures - statement of purpose. In
order to provide a simple and expeditious method for the prosecution of misdemeanors and petty
offenses in county courts but one which also guarantees to the defendant his constitutional rights,
the general assembly does hereby establish a simplified criminal procedure for misdemeanors
and petty offenses to be used under the circumstances set forth in this code in sections 16-2-102
to 16-2-114.
16-2-112. Arrest followed by a complaint. If a peace officer makes an arrest without a
warrant of a person for a misdemeanor or a petty offense, the arrested person shall be taken
without unnecessary delay before the nearest available county or district judge. Thereafter, a
complaint shall be filed immediately in the county court having jurisdiction of the offense and a
copy thereof given to the defendant at or before the time he is arraigned. The provisions of this
section are subject to the right of the arresting authority to release the arrested person pursuant to
section 16-3-105.
16-2-201. Penalty assessment procedure. (1) When a person is arrested for a class 2
petty offense, the arresting officer may either give the person a penalty assessment notice and
release him upon its terms or take him before a judge of the county court in the county in which
the alleged offense occurred. The choice of procedures shall be based upon circumstances which
reasonably persuade the officer that the alleged offender is likely or unlikely to comply with the
terms of the penalty assessment notice. Such circumstances may include the officer
accompanying the offender to a post office or mailbox and witnessing the deposit in the mail of
the notice with payment of the fine attached.
Article 3, Part I - Authority of Peace Officers to Make an Arrest:
16-3-101. Arrest - when and how made. (1) An arrest may be made on any day and at
any time of the day or night.
(2) All necessary and reasonable force may be used in making an arrest.
(3) All necessary and reasonable force may be used to effect an entry upon any building
or property or part thereof to make an authorized arrest.
16-3-102. Arrest by peace officer. (1) A peace officer may arrest a person when:
(a) He has a warrant commanding that such person be arrested; or
(b) Any crime has been or is being committed by such person in his presence; or
(c) He has probable cause to believe that an offense was committed
PART 2: Authority of Person Not a Peace Officer to Make an Arrest
16-3-201. Arrest by a private person. A person who is not a peace officer may arrest
another person when any crime has been or is being committed by the arrested person in the
presence of the person making the arrest.
*NOTE: Essentially, part (b) of 16-3-102
16-3-202. Assisting peace officer - arrest - furnishing information - immunity. (1) A
peace officer making an arrest may command the assistance of any person who is in the vicinity.
(2) A person commanded to assist a peace officer has the same authority to arrest as the
officer who commands his assistance.
(3) A person commanded to assist a peace officer in making an arrest shall not be civilly
or criminally liable for any reasonable conduct in aid of the officer or for any acts expressly
directed by the officer.
(4) Private citizens, acting in good faith, shall be immune from any civil liability for
reporting to any police officer or law enforcement authority the commission or suspected
commission of any crime or for giving other information to aid in the prevention of any crime.
16-3-203. Preventing a crime - reimbursement. Any person who is not a peace officer
as defined in section 24-31-301 (5), C.R.S., who is made the defendant in any civil action as a
result of having sought to prevent a crime being committed against any other person, and who
has judgment entered in his favor shall be entitled to all his court costs and to reasonable
attorney fees incurred in such action.
*NOTE: I could not find a clear definition of petty offense in CRS, so here's the definition from
Attorneys.com:
Felonies and misdemeanors are two classifications of crimes used in most states, with petty offenses being the third. Petty offenses are sometimes called violations and are usually punished by a fine with no jail time. They are often handled by magistrates in municipal courts and the entire process rarely takes longer than a day. A defendant is notified that he's being charged with a petty offense by issuance of a ticket, which specifies the court date and the fine that will be judged. Jury trials are not available for petty offenses.
Misdemeanors are punishable by more substantial fines and sometimes jail time, usually less than one year. Any jail term would most likely be served in a local or county jail, rather than a state or federal correctional institution. Like the petty offense, misdemeanors are usually adjudicated in a shortened trial, where defendants do not have the right to court-appointed lawyers if they can't afford one. Jury trials can be available, depending upon the type of misdemeanor alleged.
Felonies are the most serious type of crime and are often classified by degrees, with a first degree felony being the most serious. Many states require that a prosecutor obtain an indictment from a grand jury before charging someone with a felony. Felonies are punishable by substantial fines and prison sentences in excess of one year. If you are convicted of felony, you will most likely serve your jail time in a state or federal correctional institution. The court must provide an accused person with an attorney if he or she cannot afford one. A jury trial is also available for a felony prosecution. Other constitutional rights such as the right to a speedy trial are also involved when a person is charged with a felony.
Conviction of a felony brings with it more disadvantages than just higher fines and longer jail time. In some states, persons convicted of felonies cannot serve on juries, or purchase or possess firearms and may not be employed in certain professions, such as law, teaching, or the military.