I did not have an attorney. When I went to court, the officer was not present and the judge dead docketed the case.
I would hope that there is a date at which the case would be closed, however I’ve done some research on dead docketing and have not yet found a reference that indicates any time limits. No matter how unlikely, it’s still unsettling to think that an old traffic ticket could potentially be reinstated years from now by a bored judge or a city hoping to raise some cash.
I believe I would ultimately win this case (after all, that’s why I went to court) but it would be reassuring to know that I’ll never have to face this issue again.