misdemeanor charge

I was pulled over by police since I drove alone with my permit in April. I did nothing wrong with my driving.There was no other passenger in the car.  But there was something wrong with the rear light of the car. The police gave me a ticket. I got my driver license this June. I am facing misdemeanor charge. I contacted a traffic lawyer who asks me for 500 dollars to dismiss the charge. Is it worth? I can also go to the court to talk with the judge. I serached online. It seems that ii is very likely the judge will dismiss the charge and pay around 25 dollars fine instead of 402 dollars.
Any help  or advice?
Thank you for your time.
Thanks