Occasionally, because of a scheduling conflict, the officer won't be in court when he's supposed to be. If he's not there, you can ask the court to dismiss your case for lack of prosecution. Finally, if the offense you've been charged with is a serious one, you may want to at least talk to an attorney beforehand, and you might even want to have one represent you if you are facing suspension or loss of your license, or if you think being found guilty will cause a big jump in your insurance rates. While there are plenty of times when a lawyer's help isn't necessary, it may be a false economy to save a few hundred dollars in legal fees only to pay that and more in increased insurance rates and added inconvenience. If the fine isn't written or printed on the ticket, it's easy to learn the amount by calling the traffic court.
States normally have standard fines for particular violations, based on the type of offense.
In speeding cases, the fine can be based on how much you exceeded the posted speed limit. Some states can also set the fine based, at least in part, on whether you have other recent violations. But while paying up may be easy, it can have lasting negative consequences since the violation will appear on your driving record, normally for about three years. The big exception to this rule is if you pay the fine in conjunction with going to traffic school. Completion of traffic school normally means the ticket will not appear on your record.