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'Heated' phone calls landed man in jail with $2 million bond

Police and prosecutors say Coffman crossed a line and threatened police and an assistant Wayne County Prosecutor.
Credit: Wayne County Sheriff's Office
Michael David Coffman is facing two misdemeanor charges for malicious use of a telecommunications service, and is being held on a $2 million bond.

A Dearborn Heights man accused of making threatening phone calls is now looking at a pre-trial release after Judge Roberta Archer of the 36th District Court reset his $2 million bond for two misdemeanors on Tuesday.

Michael David Coffman, 51, is charged with two counts of malicious use of a telecommunications device stemming from what Coffman claims were simply "heated" phone calls over how Detroit police handled his report of being sexually assaulted.

According to the Michigan Penal Code, the maximum penalty for this misdemeanor charge is a 6 month penalty and/or $1,000 fine.

Police and prosecutors say Coffman crossed a line and threatened police and an assistant Wayne County Prosecutor.

Legal experts said the case serves as a warning to defendants to watch their tempers —no matter how frustrating a case can get.

Judges must consider whether a defendant is a threat to the community or a flight risk, said Peter Henning, a professor of law at Wayne State University.

"If you say or act improperly, it could result in being held before trial. ... There is a warning in here: to be careful what you say."

Coffman's boyfriend Patrick Meng-Frecker, 29, of Dearborn Heights told the Free Press this saga began in 2017 when Coffman went to police to report that he had been sexual assaulted on two occasions by the same person in the city of Detroit.

Meng-Frecker said Coffman felt humiliated because police made him recount the ordeal in a room full of people instead of in private area.

In a letter addressed to the Free Press,Coffman said it took several months "to force" the department to investigate.

On Dec. 22, he ended up calling Cpl. Danielle Woods, LGBTQ Liaison for the Detroit Police Department, to express his frustration.

Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Maria Miller told the Free Press in a statement that Coffman's "language on the phone was malicious and that he intended to frighten, intimidate, threaten, and harass the officer."

Coffman's attorney, Matthew Dupree, acknowleged that the conversation "became somewhat heated."

"His defense is that he actually was just threatening legal action and political action, and was not intending to threaten any physical or mental harm," Dupree said.

According to the 36th District Court's Register of Action, Coffman was arraigned on Christmas Day of 2017, his bond was set to $5,000 and he was scheduled for a pre-trial date with Judge Roberta Archer.

On Jan. 2, when a Wayne County assistant prosecutor told Coffman know that no charges would be brought stemming from reported sexual assault, Dupree said another heated conversation ensued — leading to another charge.

A second arraignment followed for his second offense on April 19, and the bond for that charge was initially set for $25,000.

Court records indicate Coffman deposited 10% of the bond set for both charges, and was out on bail with a court-ordered GPS tether until August.

But Coffman stated to experience a rash, swelling and inflammation from the tether, and both Meng-Fecker and Dupree confirm that a medical professional recommended it be removed. At a hearing on Aug. 30, 36th District Court Judge Robert Archer struck down the tether order, and instead ordered Coffman's bond be raised to $1 million per charge.

In a statement to the Free Press, Detroit Police said Coffman's case was handled appropriately and a warrant packet was submitted to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, which decided not to proceed with charges.

Woods added in an emailed statement that the department went "well above and beyond in assisting Coffman."

She explained that Coffman was invited to headquarters on Nov. 29 to meet with her and other officers, including Deputy Chief Todd Bettison and the detective in charge of his case.

Woods said they met with Coffman for about two hours, paired him with an advocate to help him get a personal protection order and provided him transportation to go before a judge.

When "he did not receive the the results he was looking for" Woods said he called her, and she arranged services for him to get free representation to further his complaint in court.

"After being dissatisfied with the results once again, his threats were directed toward the courts," she said.

Miller said her office has recused itself from the case involving an assistant prosecutor. The Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office, which has been appointed as a special prosecutor in that case, declined to comment.

Dupree said the $2 million bond was unreasonable and unconstitutional and filed an appeal with 3rd Circuit Court.

But on Tuesday, Archer agreed to reinstate a $5,000 bond/10 percent for the charge involving Detroit police and $25,000/10 percent for the case involving the assistant prosecutor. That made Dupree's prior appeal moot.

In return, Coffman agreed to be released on tether once again.

"My client has indicated to me that he’d rather take his chances with the tether than stay in jail, given the limited medical facilities there," Dupree said. "The million dollar bail was excessive, especially given my client’s medical ailments and the limited healthcare available at the Wayne County Jail. This is a definite victory,"

While both the U.S. Constitution and Michigan Constitution prohibits excessive bail, Henning said the courts have never imposed a specific dollar limit and the judge has a great deal of discretion.

"If the judge has made an assessment that this defendant poses a threat to the community, then that can support a very high bail," Henning said. "This is the problem when people say things when they're upset, it's not always clear."

A jury trial for Coffman's charge related to his phone call with Woods is scheduled for Oct. 9. His jury trial for the charge related to his phone call with a Wayne County assistant prosecutor is scheduled for Oct. 30.

Contact reporter Aleanna Siacon at asiacon@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @AleannaSiacon.

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