Reckless Driving: 1st Reckless Citation, Not Sure How to Proceed

My question involves a reckless driving ticket from the State of: Oregon

I received a citation for reckless driving. I'd been in a hurry on a highway, and passed in what I thought was a passing zone - dashed yellow line vs. solid. The cop said that it was not a passing zone, but I know there was a dashed line, so the only thing I can figure is that in my hurry, I must have been so distracted that I did not realize that it was dashed on the OTHER side, not mine. This was an off-duty cop that saw it, and he says I did it twice, and even crossed on a double line. He called my license plate in, and right when I got into town, a different cop pulled me over for speeding. (38/25, I fully admit I was probably doing this, because when he pulled behind me right at the edge of town, it scared me, and I totally missed the speed limit sign. I hadn't driven in this particular town much before, and was cautiously doing 32. Come to find out on top of everything that my speedometer is off.) Anyway, he pulled me over, and the off-duty cop pulled over with him, and that's when I found out about the reckless driving charge.

I was very compliant, didn't argue with either of the cops, but was honestly really stunned by the reckless driving charge. I really thought that I was getting pulled over for speeding. I fully admit I was in too much of a hurry, and was not driving with the best wisdom, but I really thought they were passing lanes, and honestly REALLY don't think I crossed a double line, unless he meant as I was finishing passing.

I realize this is a crime, not just a violation, and that I need to appear in court. Normally, I would not do the slightest thing that may appear uncooperative, but I found out that if convicted of reckless driving, it is mandatory in the state of Oregon that my license is suspended for a minimum of 90 days, in addition to any other fees/driving classes/etc. (Am I correct in this understanding?) My vehicle is currently the only running vehicle between me and my husband, and I have to drop him off at work each day & then drive a 1/2 hour one-way on an interstate to get to my work. I realize that punishments are not supposed to be convenient, but considering that I was not intentionally passing in no-passing zones, is there any way to get this dropped to careless driving and thereby avoid the license suspension? Do I need a lawyer to do this?

I fully realize now that my driving was dangerous, and that I am lucky to have not injured or killed anyone/myself. But I honestly feel, that, by the my understanding of the difference between reckless and careless driving, that my actions fall under the careless category. (Reckless=intentional law-breaking Careless=unintentional. Is this correct?) I realize how the cop would view it as reckless, for you'd think that anyone doing the same thing twice KNOWS they're doing it. I really didn't, and honestly view this as a wake-up call to realize that I can get more distracted than I knew, and to be extra extra conscientious when driving, and to not do anything risky, even when I think I am within the realms of the law.

As for my driving record, the only things I've gotten were a speeding ticket (2002) and red light run (2004). I don't know how long traffic violations stay on your driving record in Oregon - will these also be brought up when I appear in court?

Finally, I've never been to court before, and some of my friends say the cop will be there, others say he won't. Will the cop appear in court as well? Will both cops be there? (As I understand it, the 38/25 speeding ticket, since it's a separate ticket & a separate cop, is technically "unrelated" - so I would assume that that cop will not be present, even if the other is.)

Sorry for the length of this - I tried to be succinct as possible, but I've never been in this situation before, and obviously have more than one question about the incident! I really appreciate the help.