As a leading Assistant State's Attorney in the narcotics division, Pearlman has been a guiding legal presence through all of the wiretap detail's investigations.

A tough prosecutor and a stickler for process, Pearlman's grasp of the nuance of surveillance law and the legalities of complex casework proves invaluable to the investigations of the Barksdales, Sobotkas, and Stanfields.

Pearlman is the ASA heading the Narcotics cases in Season 1, assisting Lieutenant Cedric Daniels' detail in prosecuting the Barksdale Organization, a violent drug crew whom Detective Jimmy McNulty suspects of beating the Baltimore Homicide Unit out of 10 murders.

She approves the unit's level of "exhaustion" of conventional means – a requirement to authorize a wiretap – helping them make a case against Avon Barksdale.

When Detective Lester Freamon begins piecing together the Barksdale Organization’s money trail, several developers and politicians are implicated, and Pearlman's boss, Steven Demper, becomes interested in the case.

When Daniels' now-permanent Major Case Unit investigates Frank Sobotka and The Greek's illegal activities at the port, Pearlman sees the opportunity to prosecute a large-scale drug-smuggling operation.

In the meantime, Avon Barksdale is granted parole for implicating a dirty guard in a drug smuggling ring, despite Pearlman's recommendation to the contrary.

The detail sees disposable cell phones are being used, and Pearlman and Daniels go to the wireless provider, but find them to be unhelpful, even after threatening them with bad publicity.

The subpoenas are served and delayed by Burrell and Rawls, who then put Lieutenant Charles Marimow in charge of Major Crimes to obstruct Freamon.

Pearlman's first case in VCU begins with numerous bodies Marlo Stanfield's crew have been committing in vacant houses around the city.

Along with her domestic partner Cedric Daniels, Pearlman appeals to State's Attorney Rupert Bond to discuss the problem with Mayor Tommy Carcetti.

However, despite their efforts, the Stanfield investigation is still closed down, although Pearlman is allowed to keep detectives Leander Sydnor and Lester Freamon to prepare the Davis case.