Your son can check with the court clerk to verify that the county that issued the ticket will allow deferrals for negligent driving, second degree. Many counties allow for deferral.

Why is it "crappy" to ticket somebody who put other drivers in serious danger by driving while too tired to stay awake on the road? That's not a context in which you should whine about getting a ticket -- it's a context in which you should be grateful that you didn't kill somebody.