Not yielding to a pedestrian

I was waiting at a red light and yielding to turn right(which is legal in the state of Maryland, Montgomery County). The road was three lanes wide. When I made my turn there was a pedestrian standing in the median. He was three lanes over. When I turned the pedestrian stopped walking and stood on the median (he did not have a walk signal)I have been driving for 10 years now. From my own experience the pedestrian could have walked across and made it without any problem from my vehicle. The officer was positioned right next to me and pulled me over as soon as he saw me turn right. He gave me a ticket and I have to go to court. It said nothin about a fine. I want to know if I need a lawyer and if this is serious or not. Should I just go without counsel and explain to the judge what happened.

[racer72]

The law as stated in all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia (does not apply to New York City from what I have been told), a motor vehicle may not enter an occupied crosswalk even if the pedestrian is safely out of harms way. You might consider asking the judge for leniency, he might reduce the fine just a little.