So at this point I guess it's pretty clear that this is a misdemeanor. So my goal now should be to just try and get a lesser charge correct? How would I go about that? How do I get a hold of prosecutor handling my case? Do I go to court, plead, guilty, then ask? Sorry for all the questions, I'm not at all familiar with the processes involved.
When you say hire a lawyer, do you mean go in for advice? Or have them represent me in court all together. $2000 to have them represent me seems a little much for a $115 ticket. It might be worth it in the long run, but the lawyers I called seemed unsure if they could even do anything for me.

