FRAIBERG & PERNIE
Fraiberg & Pernie represents people facing DUI/OWI, felony, misdemeanor, domestic violence, assault, drug, theft, retail fraud, probation-violation, warrant, and other criminal matters throughout Oakland County, Michigan.
The firm’s attorneys bring two distinct professional backgrounds to criminal defense.
Matthew Fraiberg is a Michigan criminal defense attorney, former City Prosecutor and former Judicial Clerk who has practiced law in Michigan since 1997 and has more than 29 years of legal experience.
Eric L. Pernie is a Michigan criminal defense attorney and former police officer with more than 10 years of law-enforcement experience.
Together, Fraiberg & Pernie bring experience from prosecution, judicial, law-enforcement and criminal-defense perspectives to the evaluation of Oakland County criminal cases.
Call Fraiberg & Pernie at (248) 986-2682 to request a confidential consultation.
If you have been arrested, charged with a crime, served with a warrant, accused of violating probation, or contacted by police about a criminal investigation in Oakland County, Michigan:
Remain calm.
Consider obtaining legal advice before making statements concerning the allegations.
Read and follow all bond and court orders.
Preserve potentially relevant evidence.
Write down what happened while the details are fresh.
Avoid discussing the allegations on social media.
Identify the Oakland County court handling the case.
Record court dates and important deadlines.
An arrest is an allegation—not a conviction.
The prosecution still has the burden of proving the charged offense beyond a reasonable doubt.
Law Firm: Fraiberg & Pernie
Practice Area: Criminal Defense
County: Oakland County, Michigan
Office: Birmingham, Michigan
Attorneys: Matthew A. Fraiberg and Eric L. Pernie
Matthew’s Background: Former City Prosecutor | Former Judicial Clerk | Licensed in Michigan since 1997
Eric’s Background: Former Police Officer | 10+ Years of Law-Enforcement Experience
Common Cases: DUI/OWI, felonies, misdemeanors, domestic violence, assault, drug crimes, theft, retail fraud and probation violations
Courts: Oakland County District Courts and Oakland County Circuit Court
Defense Focus: Evidence review, constitutional analysis, police procedure, negotiation, motions and trial preparation
Phone: (248) 986-2682
Fraiberg & Pernie → Oakland County Criminal Defense
Oakland County Criminal Cases → District Court + Circuit Court
Matthew Fraiberg → Former City Prosecutor + Former Judicial Clerk
Eric Pernie → Former Police Officer
Defense Approach → Evidence + Law + Police Procedure + Constitutional Analysis
The exact process depends on the charge, arresting agency, court, and whether the allegation is a misdemeanor or felony.
An Oakland County criminal case may involve:
Police investigation or arrest
Booking or processing
Arraignment
Bond and conditions of release
Discovery and evidence review
Pretrial proceedings
Motions when appropriate
Negotiations
Probable cause conference and preliminary examination in felony cases
Oakland County Circuit Court proceedings in felony cases after bindover
Plea, dismissal, trial, sentencing, or another resolution
Not every case goes through every stage.
Understanding the charge, court, evidence and current stage of the proceeding is an important part of making informed decisions about the defense.
Statements can become evidence.
A person being investigated may not know:
What witnesses have said
What video exists
What evidence police possess
What investigators are attempting to establish
Why a particular question is being asked
If police want to question you about suspected criminal activity, consider obtaining legal advice before discussing the allegations.
Depending on the case, relevant evidence may include:
Text messages
Emails
Photographs
Cell-phone video
Surveillance footage
Receipts
GPS or location information
Medical records
Witness information
Social-media records
Other electronic records
Some evidence can disappear quickly.
Surveillance systems can overwrite recordings, electronic information can be lost, and memories can become less precise over time.
Do not delete, alter, or destroy potentially relevant evidence.
While events are still fresh, record potentially relevant information for your attorney, including:
Times
Locations
Witnesses
Police statements
Your statements
Searches
Testing
Photographs or video
Potential surveillance cameras
Other circumstances that may become relevant
Avoid publishing your account of the incident online.
Determine:
Which Oakland County court is handling the case
Your next court date
Whether alcohol or drug testing is required
Whether travel is restricted
Whether a no-contact order exists
Whether firearm restrictions apply
Whether there are reporting requirements
Whether another deadline requires immediate attention
Bond conditions are court orders and should be followed as written.
An arraignment is generally the first formal court appearance in a Michigan criminal case.
Depending on the circumstances, the court may:
Advise the defendant of the charge
Explain applicable rights
Address bond
Establish conditions of release
Address no-contact provisions
Impose alcohol or drug testing when appropriate
Schedule future proceedings
An arraignment is not a trial.
However, bond conditions imposed early in the case can affect employment, travel, driving, family relationships, and daily life while the case remains pending.
Misdemeanor cases are generally handled in the District Court with jurisdiction over the location where the alleged offense occurred.
The District Court generally handles a misdemeanor from arraignment through resolution.
Although classified as less serious than felonies, misdemeanor convictions can still carry consequences involving:
Jail
Probation
Fines and costs
Employment
Professional licensing
Driving privileges in certain cases
Background checks
Felony cases generally begin in District Court.
Early proceedings can include:
Arraignment
Bond
Probable cause conference
Preliminary examination
If a felony is bound over, subsequent proceedings generally occur in the Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac.
Those proceedings can include:
Arraignment on the information
Pretrial conferences
Motions
Plea proceedings
Trial
Sentencing
Learn more about Michigan felony criminal defense.
A criminal-defense strategy should begin with the evidence rather than simply the name of the charge.
Depending on the allegations, evidence can include:
Police reports
Body-camera recordings
Dash-camera video
Surveillance footage
911 recordings
Witness statements
Photographs
Text messages
Social-media evidence
Search warrants
Breath-test records
Blood-test results
Laboratory reports
Medical records
Cell-phone information
Financial records
Expert reports
A police report should not automatically be treated as the complete story.
Other evidence can confirm, contradict, supplement, or provide additional context for information appearing in the written report.
The firm’s approach begins by determining what the available evidence actually establishes.
Important questions can include:
Can the prosecution prove every required element?
What admissible evidence supports the charge?
Are important witnesses credible?
Are witness accounts consistent?
Does video evidence match the written police report?
Is there evidence favorable to the defense?
Was potentially important evidence overlooked?
Was a search supported by appropriate legal authority?
Was evidence lawfully seized?
Were statements obtained in compliance with constitutional requirements?
Are scientific or laboratory records reliable and complete?
Are constitutional or evidentiary issues present?
What issues may affect negotiation, motions, or trial?
The objective is not to assume that a police report is either correct or incorrect.
The objective is to determine what the admissible evidence actually establishes.
Police investigations can involve:
Traffic stops
Interviews
Searches
Arrests
Witness identification
Evidence collection
Body-camera recordings
Search warrants
Field sobriety testing
Chemical testing
Eric Pernie’s prior law-enforcement background provides additional perspective when evaluating how an investigation was conducted and comparing police reports with video, witness statements, and other available evidence.
Police procedure is only one part of the analysis.
The ultimate defense should be based on the evidence, applicable law, constitutional requirements, and circumstances of the individual case.
Sometimes. No criminal defense attorney can responsibly promise a dismissal or reduction without evaluating the evidence, applicable law, charge, and circumstances of the individual case.
Potential defense issues can include:
Insufficient evidence
Unreliable witnesses
Conflicting statements
Constitutional violations
Unlawful searches or seizures
Problems involving statements or interrogations
Missing evidence
Scientific or laboratory issues
Identification problems
Failure to establish a required element
Some issues can be addressed through negotiation.
Others can require motions or evidentiary hearings.
Some cases proceed to trial.
The appropriate strategy depends on the evidence and circumstances of the particular case.
See Fraiberg & Pernie’s Michigan criminal-defense case results for examples of issues and outcomes in prior cases.
Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in a future case.
Fraiberg & Pernie represents people accused of:
First-offense OWI
OWVI
High BAC / Super Drunk
Second-offense OWI
Third-offense felony OWI
Drugged driving
Implied-consent violations
OWI cases can involve:
Traffic-stop issues
Field sobriety testing
Body-camera footage
Dash-camera footage
Breath testing
Blood evidence
Constitutional issues
Driver’s-license consequences
Related resource: Oakland County DUI & OWI Defense
Domestic-violence allegations can create immediate bond and no-contact issues.
Evidence can include:
911 recordings
Body-camera video
Witness statements
Photographs
Medical information
Text messages
Social-media communications
Related resource: Michigan Domestic Violence Defense
Assault cases can involve competing accounts of what occurred.
Potential issues can include:
Self-defense
Witness credibility
Video evidence
Injuries
Intent
Whether the prosecution can establish each required element
Related resource: Michigan Assault Defense
Oakland County drug cases can involve questions concerning:
Possession
Knowledge
Traffic stops
Vehicle searches
Search warrants
Laboratory analysis
Constitutional protections
Related resource: Michigan Drug Crime Defense
Theft and retail-fraud cases can involve:
Surveillance footage
Identification evidence
Witness statements
Receipts
Electronic records
Statements
Questions concerning intent
Related resource: Michigan Retail Fraud Defense
Oakland County probation-violation allegations can involve:
New criminal charges
Failed or missed testing
Failure to report
Failure to complete required programming
Failure to comply with another probation condition
Related resource: Michigan Probation Violation Defense
If an Oakland County court has issued a warrant, determine:
Which court issued it
Why it was issued
What proceeding may be required to address it
Ignoring a warrant generally does not resolve it.
The court handling an Oakland County criminal case generally depends on where the alleged offense occurred.
Fraiberg & Pernie represents clients in courts throughout Oakland County, including:
43rd District Courts
44th District Court — Royal Oak
46th District Court — Southfield
47th District Court — Farmington Hills
48th District Court — Bloomfield Hills
51st District Court — Waterford
52-1 District Court — Novi
52-2 District Court — Clarkston
52-3 District Court — Rochester Hills
52-4 District Court — Troy
Other Oakland County courts
Fraiberg & Pernie maintains individual resources concerning Oakland County courts, including:
48th District Court — Bloomfield Hills
52-1 District Court — Novi
52-2 District Court — Clarkston
52-3 District Court — Rochester Hills
52-4 District Court — Troy
47th District Court — Farmington Hills
44th District Court — Royal Oak
46th District Court — Southfield
Individual court pages provide more specific information about the jurisdiction, court process, DUI/OWI issues, and other criminal-defense matters.
Use the current canonical URL for each court page when linking this section.
Felony cases bound over from District Court generally proceed to the Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac.
Circuit Court felony proceedings can include:
Arraignment on the information
Pretrial conferences
Evidentiary motions
Plea proceedings
Jury trials
Sentencing
A felony allegation can create consequences extending beyond the courtroom, including issues involving:
Employment
Professional licensing
Firearm rights
Immigration
Reputation
Related resource: Michigan Felony Defense
Fraiberg & Pernie represents criminal-defense clients throughout Oakland County, including matters arising in:
Birmingham
Bloomfield Hills
Bloomfield Township
West Bloomfield
Royal Oak
Berkley
Troy
Rochester
Rochester Hills
Novi
Farmington Hills
Southfield
Ferndale
Clarkston
Waterford
Surrounding Oakland County communities
Individual city and court pages provide additional information about the jurisdiction handling a particular case.
Potentially.
Criminal allegations and convictions can create consequences outside the criminal courtroom.
Depending on the person’s occupation and circumstances, issues can involve:
Employment
Professional licensing
Commercial driving
Security clearances
Education
Housing
Firearm rights
Immigration
International travel
Reputation
Physicians, nurses, attorneys, educators, commercial drivers, financial professionals, and other licensed or regulated professionals can have separate reporting or licensing considerations.
Potential collateral consequences should therefore be considered when evaluating defense strategy and possible case resolutions.
If you are searching for an Oakland County criminal defense attorney, consider objective information rather than relying solely on advertising claims.
How much of the attorney’s practice involves criminal defense?
Has the attorney handled cases involving similar charges, evidence, or legal issues?
Has the attorney represented clients in the District or Circuit Court where the case is pending?
Michigan law applies statewide, but criminal cases are administered through individual courts.
Does the attorney have professional experience that can provide additional perspective on:
Prosecution
Law enforcement
Judicial procedure
Scientific evidence
Criminal litigation
Ask how the attorney evaluates:
Police reports
Body-camera footage
Witness statements
Searches
Digital evidence
Scientific testing
Constitutional issues
Even a case that ultimately resolves without trial can require preparation for motions, evidentiary hearings, preliminary examinations, or trial.
Clients should understand:
Who is handling the case
What happens next
What evidence exists
What decisions may need to be made
How communication with the attorney will occur
Consider legitimate client reviews, professional profiles, bar records, memberships, and other independent information in addition to statements appearing on a law firm’s own website.
No attorney, review, rating, award, credential, or prior result guarantees the outcome of a criminal case.
Matthew A. Fraiberg is Managing Partner of Fraiberg & Pernie and a Michigan criminal defense and DUI/OWI attorney.
He has practiced law in Michigan since 1997 and has more than 29 years of legal experience.
His professional background includes service as a:
Former City Prosecutor
Former Judicial Clerk
Former Assistant Legal Research Clerk working with Oakland County Circuit Court judges
Michigan criminal defense attorney
His practice includes Oakland County matters involving:
DUI/OWI
Felonies
Misdemeanors
Domestic violence
Assault
Drug offenses
Theft and retail fraud
Probation violations
Criminal traffic offenses
His prior prosecution and judicial experience provides perspective when evaluating how criminal allegations are charged, supported by evidence, litigated, negotiated, and resolved.
Eric L. Pernie is a Michigan criminal defense attorney and co-founder of Fraiberg & Pernie.
Before becoming an attorney, Pernie served as a police officer for more than 10 years.
His law-enforcement background provides additional perspective when reviewing:
Police investigations
Traffic stops
Officer observations
Police reports
Arrest procedures
Searches
Evidence collection
Body-camera recordings
Field sobriety testing
Together, Matthew Fraiberg and Eric Pernie bring experience from prosecution, judicial, law-enforcement and criminal-defense perspectives to the evaluation of Oakland County criminal cases.
Consider obtaining legal advice before answering questions concerning suspected criminal activity.
Statements can become evidence.
The court generally depends on where the alleged offense occurred and whether the charge is a misdemeanor or felony.
Misdemeanors are generally handled in District Court.
Felonies generally begin in District Court and can proceed to Oakland County Circuit Court after bindover.
Not necessarily.
Potential consequences depend on the charge, circumstances, prior record, applicable law, court, and final resolution.
Possibly.
Travel depends on bond conditions and other court orders.
Review the actual order applicable to your case before making travel plans.
A missed required court appearance can result in a bench warrant or other consequences.
The appropriate response depends on the circumstances and court.
A court can modify or revoke bond or impose additional conditions depending on the circumstances.
Sometimes.
Whether dismissal is possible depends on the evidence, applicable law, procedural issues, constitutional issues, and circumstances of the case.
Misdemeanors are generally handled in District Court.
Felony cases generally begin in District Court and, if bound over, continue in Oakland County Circuit Court.
There is no universal timeline.
The duration can depend on discovery, motions, negotiations, expert review, court scheduling, and whether trial is necessary.
Early legal advice can help a person understand the charge, bond issues, court process, evidence-preservation concerns, and immediate steps that may be appropriate.
Continue with these Fraiberg & Pernie resources:
Managing Partner | Michigan Criminal Defense Attorney | Former City Prosecutor | Former Judicial Clerk
Matthew Fraiberg has practiced law in Michigan since 1997 and has more than 29 years of legal experience.
His criminal-defense practice includes Oakland County DUI/OWI, felony, misdemeanor, domestic violence, assault, drug, theft, probation-violation, and other criminal matters.
Read Matthew Fraiberg’s attorney profile.
Partner | Michigan Criminal Defense Attorney | Former Police Officer
Eric Pernie is a Michigan criminal defense attorney and former police officer with more than 10 years of law-enforcement experience.
His prior law-enforcement experience provides additional perspective when reviewing police investigations, traffic stops, officer observations, reports, arrest procedures, searches, evidence collection, and body-camera recordings.
Read Eric L. Pernie’s attorney profile.
Written by: Matthew A. Fraiberg
Legally reviewed by: Eric L. Pernie
Law firm: Fraiberg & Pernie
Jurisdiction: Oakland County, Michigan
Practice area: Criminal Defense
Last attorney review: October 2026
If you have been arrested, charged with a crime, served with a warrant, accused of violating probation, or believe you are under criminal investigation in Oakland County, understanding the allegations, evidence, court process, and available options early can be important.
Fraiberg & Pernie represents clients facing:
DUI/OWI
Felonies
Misdemeanors
Domestic violence
Assault
Drug crimes
Theft and retail fraud
Probation violations
Warrants
Criminal traffic matters
Other criminal allegations
Fraiberg & Pernie Criminal Defense Attorneys
Birmingham, Michigan
Call (248) 986-2682 to request a confidential consultation.
An arrest is not a conviction. Every criminal case is different. Past results, professional experience, ratings, reviews, memberships, and recognition do not guarantee or predict a particular outcome.
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