Is it better to take a drivers education course before seeing the judge for a minor infraction?

Location: Virginia

I got a minor infraction after almost 2 decades of not getting a ticket. Current ticket is three demerit points of $80 fine and will go on my record which could affect my CDL and insurance premium

I’m getting a lot of feedback that I have a good chance of having my charge dropped or moved to a no point reduction conviction due to being respectful to the officer and my safe driving record. I will go in wearing a suit, be early and speak respectfully to the judge and everyone involved

Should one take the drivers improvement course before court or wait for the judge to request it as a condition to drop the charges? The class is only $35 online and eight hours, which the lady said I’ll probably get done even faster since the course is exactly like the DOT and CDL class I take every 6 months for work.

So curious, if you would recommend taking a certificate of drivers improvement to the judge and saying ‘I’m sorry for my mistake, I take responsibility, I am asking for leniency in my case due to having a long safe driving record and here’s the certificate’? Or just go in and say everything else minus the certificate and let it to the judge if I need to take a course? Saving $35 at the least of my concern if it can get me no demerit points and off my record either by dropping charges or a non-moving violation with no demo point.

Plus, worst case scenario, where I get still convicted, I can ask the judge for a letter that the driving course said for $25 will convert the course from a pre-trial no point reduction class to a post trial remedial points that go to DMV. So after the conviction, the -3 will be canceled out by the +5 of the course. But the convocation will still stay on my record