My driver's license nightmare (Long and way OT)

Back in October I was in a bit of a rush and got pulled over in a neighboring county. The cop was nice and said that he would warn me for speed, but my license had expired on my birthday back in April. I was floored. I clearly just brain farted. So he wrote me a $75 ticket for driving on an expired license. Crap! Oh well. I paid the ticket. I was waiting for my expired license to come back in the mail so I could go to the DMV and get it renewed. No such luck. I got a notice from the Secretary of State that I was suspended til March!! I called the DMV and they said I must have had 3 moving violations in a year. Huh? No. She says "yes" I say "no". So she gives me the number for the state. I call and say "DMV says I had 3 moving vio's in a year, I did not. Haven't had one since '95. What's up?" The lady informs me that by paying my ticket, I was admitting guilt for driving on an invalid license and automatically suspended. I tell her I have to drive. I have a job and a business and hubby is gone for 30 days at a time. I live in a remote area and have no one to drive me. Also the officer never explained to me what would happen if I pleaded guilty. She tells me to go to the court in the county where it happened and ask the judge to vacate the guilty plea and put me on supervision. So yesterday I got my friend to drive me and I went. Their computers were down and they couldn't pull my file. So they send me to the courtroom without a file, and the State's attorney looks at me like I'm nuts. So back down to the clerk's office. Where I left my phone number and filled out a motion to vacate. They're going to call me when they can have me come in and fix it. Oh, and the best part -- it's going to cost me $215! What a racket!! They are criminalizing a common mistake. I am livid! And here I sit. The only store nearby is a convenience store. I am paying $2.50 for a bag of damn noodles cause I can't get to the grocery! And I'm sick of noodles!

Had I been here in my county, the state's attorney here would have thrown it out. And then I see my lawyer while we're out yesterday. I should have consulted him when I got the ticket, but I am just now paying him off for my divorce, didn't want to rack up another bill, and didn't think a $75 ticket needed a lawyer. He said if I had gone and renewed before the ticket's court date, they would have thrown it out! Aaarrrrgggghhhh!

Just humor me and take a glance at your license!