Appealing an Incorrect Guilty Plea

[speedmonkey]

My question involves traffic court in the State of: WA

On reviewing my driving record, I've noticed that I have a guilty plea and a committed finding against me for an old citation through a local municipal court. The finding is for driving without proof of insurance. For that particular ticket, I had made the mistake of hiring an incompetent lawyer who suggested I needn't be present and filed a guilty plea on my behalf. I paid any fees he told me to as I didn't know better, and didn't bother to look into the matter - all I was told by my lawyer was that the violation wouldn't show on my record but that I had to pay the court a few hundred dollars (it did show on my record) so he'd won the case for me. So I went ahead and did that. I now know however that I could've simply paid the court $25 myself, showed a judge my proof of insurance, and that would've been the end of it. Is there any appeals procedure with which I can meet a judge and explain these circumstances so that this ticket (the only one on my abstract) could be removed with my proof of insurance for that time period? Would it also be possible to be refunded monies taken by the court in this instance?

[flyingron]

The time to do anything about this is measured in days. If by "old" you mean months or years, you're too late.

[speedmonkey]

Oh, it's been about 2 months (it's what spurred me onto looking into these things myself instead of getting a lawyer). So I guess it's too late than? Thanks.

[speedmonkey]

I've read somewhere about expungement lawyers, can they not do anything about this either? I don't mind forfeiting the amount I've already spent if it can be removed from my record where it shouldn't be in the first place. Additionally, does expungement mean that it's simply "hidden" but that the municipal court's prosecuting office would still have record of the conviction? Or is it a new ruling in my favor (in the event that I win)?