FRAIBERG & PERNIE
A criminal charge can make life feel uncertain very quickly. You may be worried about court, work, your family, your professional license or what people will find in a background check. The useful question is not, “How bad does this look?” It is, “What can the government actually prove?”
Fraiberg & Pernie represents people accused of misdemeanors, felonies, OWI, domestic violence, assault, drug offenses, theft and probation violations arising in West Bloomfield and throughout Oakland County.
Matthew Fraiberg has practiced Michigan law since 1997 and previously served as a city prosecutor and judicial clerk. Eric L. Pernie is a former Bloomfield Township police officer who later became a criminal defense attorney.
Call 248-986-2682 for a confidential consultation.
Start by slowing things down. Read your bond order. Do not miss court, testing or reporting. Do not contact anyone if the court ordered no contact. Avoid posting about the case, and do not delete messages, photographs, videos or location information that may become important.
Then organize what you know:
What offense is alleged?
Which police agency is involved?
Is there a warrant, citation or court date?
Are there bond or testing conditions?
Was anything searched or seized?
Did you give a statement?
Is there video, a 911 call, a witness or electronic evidence?
Could the case affect driving, employment or a professional license?
An arrest is an accusation, not a conviction. The prosecution must still prove every required element with admissible evidence.
| Topic | Key information |
|---|---|
| Primary court | 48th District Court |
| Court location | 4280 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills |
| County | Oakland County |
| Common cases | OWI, assault, domestic violence, drugs, theft, probation violations and other misdemeanors or felonies |
| Immediate concerns | Bond, court dates, evidence, no-contact orders, testing and license issues |
| Defense priorities | Understand the charge, preserve evidence, test the government’s proof and protect the client’s broader interests |
| Attorneys | Matthew Fraiberg and Eric L. Pernie |
Many misdemeanor and traffic cases arising in West Bloomfield Township are handled by the 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills. The court also conducts the early stages of felony cases, including arraignments, probable-cause conferences and preliminary examinations.
If a felony is bound over, it ordinarily continues in the Oakland County Circuit Court. The location of the alleged offense—not where the accused lives—usually determines which district court handles the case.
Court assignments, judges and schedules can change. Always rely on the current notice from the court rather than an old webpage or someone else’s experience.
The first goal is not to “win” the entire case in a few days. It is to prevent avoidable damage and preserve useful information.
Bond may include no-contact provisions, alcohol or drug restrictions, testing, travel limits, reporting and an obligation to appear at every hearing. If the language is unclear, obtain advice before acting.
Keep the complaint, citation, bond order, property receipt, testing instructions, search-warrant documents and every court notice. Photograph or scan them so a second copy exists.
Texts, emails, call logs, security footage, rideshare records, photographs and location history may help or hurt. Do not alter or delete them. Private video systems often overwrite recordings, so relevant footage may need prompt preservation.
Statements to police, witnesses, friends, coworkers or family members can be repeated later. A person under investigation does not need to improvise an explanation simply because an officer says, “We only want your side.”
The police report is important, but it is not the final word. A careful defense asks several separate questions.
The answer may depend on whether police had a legal basis for a traffic stop, detention, search, arrest or entry into a home. If a warrant was used, the warrant and supporting affidavit may need review.
Suspicion is not the same as proof. Depending on the charge, the government may need to establish identity, intent, knowledge, possession, operation, injury, lack of consent or another specific element.
Witness accounts can change. Video may show details left out of a report. Laboratory evidence depends on proper collection and analysis. Digital records require authentication and context.
Police reports, body-camera footage, 911 calls, photographs, medical records and witness statements should be compared. An inconsistency does not automatically end the case, but it may affect credibility, admissibility or negotiations.
Michigan generally uses the term OWI—Operating While Intoxicated, although people commonly say DUI.
An OWI investigation may involve driving observations, field sobriety tests, preliminary breath testing, evidentiary breath or blood testing, body-camera video and witness accounts. The BAC number is important, but it is only one part of the case.
A qualifying High BAC offense generally involves an alleged alcohol concentration of 0.17 or higher for a first offense and may carry enhanced consequences. Michigan’s principal OWI statute is MCL 257.625.
Read the firm’s Ultimate Guide to Michigan DUI Law or learn how to choose a Michigan DUI lawyer.
Domestic-violence charges can immediately affect contact with family members, access to a residence and firearm possession. The evidence often includes competing accounts, 911 calls, body-camera recordings, messages, photographs, medical evidence and self-defense claims.
The issue is not simply who called police first. The defense should examine credibility, corroboration and what happened before, during and after the alleged incident.
Michigan drug cases may involve possession, delivery, intent to deliver or prescription medication.
Important questions may include:
Was the search lawful?
Who owned or controlled the location?
Can the prosecution prove knowing possession?
Was the substance properly identified and tested?
Were statements obtained lawfully?
Finding a substance nearby does not automatically prove that a particular person knowingly possessed it.
The firm represents clients accused of retail fraud, larceny, embezzlement and related offenses.
These cases may turn on intent, ownership, authorization, identification, surveillance video, transaction records and communications. For professionals, a dishonesty-related conviction may create serious employment or licensing concerns beyond the courtroom.
A probation-violation allegation may involve a missed test, new charge, failure to report, unpaid obligation or alleged violation of another condition.
The underlying documentation matters. Testing records, receipts, call logs, employment records, treatment records and proof of compliance may help explain or contest the allegation.
Fraiberg & Pernie handles both Michigan criminal defense and misdemeanor defense.
Felony cases usually begin in district court. The early stages can affect bond, discovery, witness testimony and whether the case advances to circuit court. Waiting for the case to reach circuit court may mean missing useful opportunities to investigate.
Do not ignore it. A missed hearing can lead to a warrant. A missed or positive test, unauthorized travel or prohibited contact may result in stricter conditions, a bond hearing or possible revocation.
Preserve anything that explains what happened:
Testing receipts and screenshots
Medical or employment records
Travel documents
Communications with the testing provider
Device error messages
Witness information
Continue following every other condition while the disputed issue is addressed.
For many West Bloomfield clients, the most frightening consequence is not jail. It is damage to a career, license, business or reputation.
An arrest or conviction may raise questions involving:
Employer reporting policies
Background checks
Professional-license disclosure
Commercial driving
Security clearances
Firearm rights
Insurance
International travel
Do not assume a criminal-court resolution answers every professional or regulatory question. A plea that seems favorable in court may create a separate problem elsewhere.
Possibly. The bond order controls. Employment explains why permission may be needed, but it does not create an automatic exception.
There are two separate questions: whether the Michigan court permits the trip and whether Canadian authorities permit entry. Canadian admissibility is governed by Canadian law.
Possibly. The answer depends on background checks, employer policies, licensing duties, clearances, driving responsibilities and whether disclosure is required.
Sometimes, but the answer depends on the charge and evidence.
A dismissal may become possible when the case involves an unlawful stop or search, suppressed evidence, an unreliable witness, insufficient proof, a constitutional violation or a failure to establish an essential element.
A reduction may depend on the strength of the case, criminal history, restitution, mitigation, negotiations and the prosecutor’s evaluation.
Depending on the offense and circumstances, record-protection options may include dismissal, diversion, a statutory deferral, delayed sentencing or later set-aside relief. Not every charge qualifies, and no outcome should be promised before the case is reviewed.
Giving unnecessary statements about the facts
Contacting someone contrary to a no-contact order
Posting photographs or comments about the case
Missing court, testing or reporting
Traveling without checking the bond order
Deleting messages, video or location information
Assuming the police report proves there is no defense
A misdemeanor can still involve jail exposure, probation, a criminal record, license consequences and employment issues. Whether private counsel is necessary is a personal decision, but the label “misdemeanor” should not be mistaken for “unimportant.”
Sometimes, but vehicle searches remain subject to constitutional rules and recognized exceptions to the warrant requirement. Lawfulness depends on the facts.
Police generally need a valid warrant, consent or a legally recognized exception. Evidence obtained through an unlawful search may be challenged.
Statements can become evidence. A person under investigation should understand the consequences before deciding whether to provide a statement.
That depends on the charge, evidence, prior record, bond compliance, negotiations and court decision. Arrest alone does not determine the sentence.
Potentially, when the facts and law support suppression, exclusion or a conclusion that the remaining evidence is insufficient. No ethical lawyer can guarantee dismissal.
Possibly. Eligibility for dismissal, diversion, deferral or later set-aside relief depends on the offense and circumstances.
Early advice can help preserve evidence, clarify bond conditions, identify deadlines and prevent avoidable mistakes.
Matthew Fraiberg is the managing partner of Fraiberg & Pernie and has practiced Michigan law since 1997. His background includes service as a city prosecutor, judicial clerk and assistant legal research clerk in the Oakland County court system.
Eric L. Pernie is a former Bloomfield Township police officer and criminal defense attorney. His experience provides practical insight into traffic stops, investigations, evidence collection, report writing, body-camera footage and arrest decisions.
The firm’s approach is straightforward: understand the client, examine the evidence, identify the real risks and prepare for the path that best fits the case.
If you were arrested, served with a warrant, contacted by police or told that you are under investigation in West Bloomfield, do not make important decisions based only on fear or the police report.
Fraiberg & Pernie represents clients facing OWI, domestic violence, assault, drug, theft, felony, misdemeanor and other criminal allegations in the 48th District Court and throughout Oakland County.
Call 248-986-2682 for a confidential consultation.
Written and reviewed by Matthew Fraiberg, Michigan criminal defense attorney, former city prosecutor and former judicial clerk. Practicing Michigan law since 1997.
Additional review by Eric L. Pernie, Michigan criminal defense attorney and former Bloomfield Township police officer.
Last reviewed and updated: September 2026
Fraiberg & Pernie
1000 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Suite 103
Birmingham, Michigan 48009
248-986-2682
This page provides general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different.
Fraiberg & Pernie is an Oakland County criminal defense law firm focusing on DUI and OWI defense in Birmingham, Troy, Royal Oak, Novi, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester and Farmington Hills, Michigan.
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