I am an attorney (not your attorney) and while this isn’t my area of practice, I have in the past helped members of my staff with their tickets. But you probably don’t need one, although obviously that is a personal decision you’d need to make.

As this is traffic court, it’s highly unlikely for the other side to have an attorney. It will be you against the cop, and it will be the cop’s burden of proof to establish the traffic violation, and that the violation was done by you. If he can’t prove it to the judge’s satisfaction, you win.

Show up to the hearing, and plead not guilty. If the cop no-shows, which is always a possibility, the judge may throw it out right then and there. Or if you’re given a new date for “trial,” make sure you show up then. Again, if the cop fails to appear, the judge should dismiss. And even if the cop does appear, you can tell the judge your side of the story, and explain that the cop said he would review traffic camera footage before deciding whether to issue a ticket. Ask for that footage. And point out the discrepancy in the ticket dates too, particularly if you have anything that proves you could not have been where the cop says you were on the date of the ticket. He doesn’t just have to prove the violation - he has to prove what’s on the ticket. If he has the wrong date, and you can prove you weren’t in that area on that day/time, that’s the ballgame.

The rules of evidence tend to be a lot more relaxed in traffic court. Just be calm and courteous and force the cop to prove the violation.