The Airman's Information Manual (AIM) contains "recommended" practices yet during an FAA Investigation into some alleged violation of the FAR's those procedures are often cited by the FAA.
Just as AC's are not obligatory, neither is the AIM but the FAA or a Defense Counsel can make reference to either.
It would be up to the Judge to determine the weight and value the information would hold.
The Regulation trumps both the AC and AIM. OpSpecs also trumps the AC and AIM.
One cannot consider the FAR itself to be as written due to the interpretation of those FAR's by Judges and the FAA Legal Counsel.
Two examples is the "Careless and Reckless" Regulation and the Definition of a "Congested Area". Both have been further defined by Court Cases beyond the mere text of the Regulation.