A careless and reckless charge is more or less a judgment call on the part of the officer. However, a guilty verdict carries four points on your driving record and is a class two misdemeanor. Therefore, before paying it off or pleading guilty, see if there are holes in the state's argument or see if they will offer a plea. Most DAs will instead of going to court. This could save even a first-time offender from supervised probation and, if you've accumulated more points on your license, it could save you from suspension.