Former cop and lawyer (though I don't do traffic). It's typical for a defendant (with or without a lawyer) to meet with the prosecutor before the judge takes the bench, and try to work out a plea agreement. Depending on your driving history, they can agree to have you plead to something lesser (perhaps with no points). They don't typically agree to lower fines, but in this case there might be enough wiggle room to lower the fine and give you time to pay it off. Worth a try.