The process probably varies by state, and perhaps by county and town. Probably one of two scenarios will occur. There may be a DA there before you actually go into the court room. You can usually (in my experience) negotiate a plea to a lower violation (preferably non-moving) with the DA. Once you agree, your case will come up in the court room. The DA will state the plea agreement, you will accept the plea agreement. Done. Pay your fine. Alternatively, this all may occur in front of the judge, although I have seen this less frequently. Its really not that big of a deal. If you have more specific questions, I would recommend calling the court clerk to find out more details of how that specific court normally functions.