It's never a bad idea to have an attorney. Having said that, you'll probably do just as well with this incident as far as court goes without that expense. Talk to the city attorney. After your first meeting with the city attorney you can always decide to hire legal counsel if you don't get what you consider to be fair treatment. But realistically, he/she wants this to go away with as little time/effort/expense as much as you do. Try to get a deferred judgment. That means she has to face consequences but there's also a reward for paying for her mistake. She'll most likely be required to pay a fine and/or restitution and have to perform some kind of community service and check in with a probation officer or city equivalent. The catch is, and this is the important part, if she keeps her nose clean and completes all the court-ordered requirements, the charge "goes away", so to speak. If she doesn't there will be further consequences.