There is an appeals process but it first requires me submitting proof that I wasn't driving in the express lane to them, rather than forcing them to produce any

There is an appeals process but it first requires me submitting proof that I wasn't driving in the express lane to them, rather than forcing them to produce any evidence (which, if they even had a photo, would immediately exonerate me). They would not accept my statement that the car was re-registered out of state and then sold, even though the CA DMV records confirmed that the registration expired years prior. If I did submit proof and they still denied it, I could request an administrative review, but first I have to pay the fine as a deposit, which would be refunded to me if I won. Of course, all of the reviewers work for the organization whose scanners falsely accused me in the first place. There is no independent traffic court for this expressway.