Eric L. Pernie

Eric L. Pernie – Michigan Criminal Defense & DUI Lawyer | Former Police Officer

Who Is Eric L. Pernie?

Eric L. Pernie is a Michigan criminal defense attorney, DUI lawyer, former Bloomfield Township police officer, and partner at Fraiberg & Pernie.

Before becoming an attorney, Pernie spent more than a decade in law enforcement. His background provides firsthand experience with police investigations, traffic stops, OWI enforcement, field sobriety testing, breath testing, evidence collection, witness interaction, report preparation, and courtroom procedure.

Today, he represents individuals facing criminal charges throughout Oakland County, Wayne County, Macomb County, and Southeast Michigan.

His practice includes:

• DUI and OWI

• High BAC / Super Drunk

• Repeat OWI

• Drugged driving

• Domestic violence

• Assault and battery

• Drug offenses

• Theft and retail fraud

• Criminal traffic offenses

• Driver’s-license violations

• Probation violations

• Misdemeanors

• Felonies

Pernie’s combination of criminal-defense experience and more than 10 years of prior law-enforcement service gives him a distinctive perspective when evaluating how police investigated a case and whether the evidence supports the allegations.

Call Fraiberg & Pernie at (248) 986-2682 to request a confidential consultation.

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Eric L. Pernie at a Glance

Attorney → Eric L. Pernie
Law Firm → Fraiberg & Pernie
Profession → Michigan Criminal Defense Attorney
Former Profession → Bloomfield Township Police Officer
Law-Enforcement Experience → More than 10 Years
Police Role → Road Patrol Officer • Field Training Officer
Practice Areas → Criminal Defense • DUI/OWI Defense
DUI Experience → Traffic Stops • Field Sobriety Testing • DataMaster Breath Testing • Evidence Collection
Criminal Defense → Domestic Violence • Assault • Drug Crimes • Theft • Retail Fraud • Criminal Traffic • Probation Violations • Felonies • Misdemeanors
Primary Counties → Oakland • Wayne • Macomb
Office → Birmingham, Michigan
Phone → (248) 986-2682
Last Reviewed and Updated → September 2026

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Former Bloomfield Township Police Officer

Before entering the practice of law, Eric Pernie served as a road patrol officer with the Bloomfield Township Police Department.

During more than a decade in law enforcement, his experience included:

• DUI and OWI investigations

• Traffic stops

• Traffic crash investigations

• Standardized field sobriety testing

• Preliminary breath testing

• DataMaster breath testing

• Traffic enforcement

• RADAR and LIDAR

• Evidence collection

• Witness interaction

• Police report preparation

• Investigative procedures

• Arrest procedures

• Courtroom interaction

Pernie also became an MCOLES-certified police officer.

That background is directly relevant to his work today as a criminal defense attorney.

When evaluating a criminal case, he can examine not only what an officer wrote in a report, but also how the investigation was conducted, what evidence was collected, what procedures were followed, and whether objective evidence supports the officer’s conclusions.

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Field Training Officer and Additional Law-Enforcement Training

Pernie’s police experience extended beyond routine road patrol.

He served as a Field Training Officer, which included responsibility for training new police officers.

His law-enforcement background also included:

• Emergency 911-dispatcher training

• Child forensic interviewing training

• DUI investigation and enforcement

• Standardized Field Sobriety Test experience

• Breath-testing experience

• Evidence collection

• Report preparation

• Traffic enforcement

Training other officers provided additional exposure to the procedures, documentation, decision-making, and professional standards involved in police work.

Today, that experience provides another perspective when reviewing police conduct in a criminal case.

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Two Lifesaving Awards With the Bloomfield Township Police Department

During his law-enforcement career, Eric Pernie received numerous accolades for his work.

Among those recognitions were two lifesaving awards.

Pernie received one lifesaving award after successfully helping revive a person experiencing cardiac arrest.

He received another after resuscitating a two-year-old child who had been found unresponsive in a swimming pool.

These incidents reflect a portion of Pernie’s professional background before he became a Michigan criminal defense attorney and provide additional context for the breadth of his law-enforcement experience.

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How Former Police Experience Can Matter in Criminal Defense

A former police officer’s background does not determine the outcome of a criminal case.

It can, however, provide useful experience when evaluating how an investigation was conducted.

Does the Police Report Match the Video?

Police reports are important evidence, but they are written accounts.

Body-camera, dash-camera, surveillance, and other recordings may provide an independent view of what occurred.

The defense may compare the report with video to evaluate:

• Officer observations

• Statements

• Physical condition

• Searches

• Evidence collection

• Witness behavior

• Police instructions

• Sequence of events

• Information omitted from the report

Sometimes the video supports the report.

Sometimes it provides additional context.

Sometimes meaningful differences emerge.

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Were Police Procedures Followed?

Depending on the type of case, police procedures may involve:

• Traffic stops

• Searches

• Arrests

• Evidence handling

• Witness interviews

• Statements

• Field sobriety testing

• Breath testing

• Report preparation

• Search warrants

• Constitutional requirements

Pernie’s prior law-enforcement experience provides firsthand familiarity with many of the procedures that later become evidence in criminal cases.

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Was the Search or Seizure Lawful?

Search-and-seizure issues can arise in cases involving:

• Vehicles

• Homes

• Drugs

• Weapons

• Electronic devices

• Personal property

• Traffic stops

• Arrests

A defense review may examine what officers knew, what they observed, whether consent was given, whether a warrant existed, and what legal authority supported the search or seizure.

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DUI & OWI Defense Experience

DUI and OWI defense remain significant parts of Eric Pernie’s practice.

His prior police experience included conducting and participating in DUI investigations.

That background included experience with:

• Traffic stops

• Driver observations

• Standardized Field Sobriety Tests

• Preliminary breath testing

• DataMaster breath testing

• Evidence collection

• Traffic enforcement

• Report preparation

Today, he represents clients facing:

• First-Offense OWI

• High BAC OWI

• Repeat OWI

• Drugged Driving

• Implied Consent matters

• Breath-test issues

• Criminal traffic offenses

• Driver’s-license issues

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Standardized Field Sobriety Tests

Pernie’s police experience included familiarity with standardized field sobriety testing such as:

• Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus

• Walk-and-Turn

• One-Leg Stand

When field sobriety evidence is used in an OWI case, relevant questions may include:

• Were instructions given properly?

• Was the test demonstrated?

• What surface was used?

• What were the weather and lighting conditions?

• Does video match the written report?

• Were there physical or medical factors that may have affected performance?

A reported failure should be evaluated in the context in which the testing actually occurred.

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DataMaster Breath Testing

Pernie’s law-enforcement background also included DataMaster breath-testing experience.

Breath evidence may require examination of:

• Testing procedures

• Observation requirements

• Instrument records

• Operator procedures

• Testing sequence

• Error messages

• Results

• Supporting documentation

A numerical breath result is evidence.

The procedures and records associated with that result may also matter.

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Criminal Defense Practice

Pernie’s practice is not limited to DUI cases.

Fraiberg & Pernie represents clients facing a broad range of Michigan criminal allegations.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence cases may involve:

• Conflicting accounts

• Self-defense

• 911 recordings

• Body-camera footage

• Injuries

• Witness credibility

• Text messages

• Photographs

• No-contact conditions

• Other physical or electronic evidence

The initial allegation should be compared with all available evidence.

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Assault and Battery

Assault cases may require determining:

• Who initiated the confrontation

• Whether self-defense applies

• What witnesses actually observed

• Whether injuries support the allegations

• Whether video exists

• Whether statements are consistent

• What physical evidence shows

Witness credibility and objective evidence can become central to the defense.

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Drug Crimes

Drug allegations may raise issues involving:

• Possession

• Constructive possession

• Search and seizure

• Vehicle searches

• Multiple occupants

• Knowledge

• Evidence collection

• Laboratory testing

The presence of alleged contraband near a person does not necessarily answer every question concerning knowing possession.

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Theft and Retail Fraud

Theft-related cases can involve questions concerning:

• Criminal intent

• Surveillance footage

• Store records

• Loss-prevention reports

• Receipts

• Self-checkout evidence

• Property ownership

• Merchandise value

• Witness statements

The defense should determine what the evidence establishes rather than relying solely on the characterization contained in the original accusation.

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Criminal Traffic and License Offenses

Pernie’s practice also includes criminal traffic matters involving allegations such as:

• Driving While License Suspended

• Driving While License Revoked

• Reckless Driving

• Other misdemeanor traffic offenses

A driver’s actual Secretary of State record and license status can be important when evaluating these cases.

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Selected Criminal Defense Results

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case depends on its own facts, evidence, law, court, prosecutor, judge, strategy, and individual circumstances.

Domestic Violence — 44th District Court, Royal Oak

Charge → Domestic Violence
Court → 44th District Court
County → Oakland County, Michigan
Defense Issues → Witness credibility, inconsistent statements, self-defense and physical evidence
Outcome → Domestic Violence charge dismissed
Attorney → Eric L. Pernie

The defense examined the conflicting accounts and surrounding evidence rather than relying solely on the initial allegation.

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Retail Fraud — 47th District Court, Farmington Hills

Charge → Retail Fraud
Court → 47th District Court
County → Oakland County, Michigan
Defense Issues → Criminal intent, surveillance and checkout evidence
Outcome → Retail Fraud charge dismissed after negotiated resolution
Attorney → Eric L. Pernie

The case required separating the allegation that merchandise was unpaid from the separate question of whether the evidence established an intent to steal.

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Assault and Battery — 51st District Court, Waterford

Charge → Assault and Battery
Court → 51st District Court
County → Oakland County, Michigan
Defense Issues → Self-defense, witness credibility, physical evidence and conflicting accounts
Outcome → Assault and Battery charge dismissed
Attorney → Eric L. Pernie

Evidence concerning how the confrontation began became important when evaluating the original accusation.

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OWI — Westland

Charge → OWI
Court → 18th District Court
County → Wayne County, Michigan
Defense Issues → Chemical evidence and timeline
Outcome → OWI reduced to OWVI
Attorney → Eric L. Pernie

The defense reviewed the chemical evidence in conjunction with the timing and other evidence rather than evaluating the numerical result in isolation.

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Additional verified DUI and criminal-defense outcomes are available on Fraiberg & Pernie’s Case Results page.

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Courts and Communities Served

Eric Pernie represents clients in criminal and DUI cases throughout Southeast Michigan.

Oakland County

His practice includes matters arising in courts such as:

• Oakland County 6th Circuit Court

• 48th District Court

• 52-1 District Court

• 52-2 District Court

• 52-3 District Court

• 52-4 District Court

• 47th District Court

• 44th District Court

• 46th District Court

• 43rd District Court

• 51st District Court

Communities served include:

• Birmingham

• Bloomfield Hills

• Bloomfield Township

• West Bloomfield

• Troy

• Clawson

• Rochester

• Rochester Hills

• Novi

• Royal Oak

• Farmington Hills

• Southfield

• Ferndale

• Waterford

Pernie also represents clients in Wayne County, Macomb County, and courts throughout Southeast Michigan.

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Education and Professional Background

Juris Doctor

Thomas M. Cooley Law School

While attending law school and working full-time as a police officer, Eric Pernie:

• Received the Jurisprudence Book Award in Michigan Criminal Practice

• Was named to the Dean’s List multiple times

In April 2013, Pernie began clerking at a Birmingham, Michigan law firm before graduating from law school.

Bachelor of Science

Criminal Justice
Ferris State University

Professional Background and Credentials

• Michigan Criminal Defense Attorney

• Partner, Fraiberg & Pernie

• Avvo Rated

• Justia Rated 10.0

• Former Bloomfield Township Police Officer

• More than 10 years of prior law-enforcement experience

• Former Field Training Officer

• MCOLES Certified Police Officer

• Oakland County Bar Association

• Lead Counsel Rated — Drunk Driving Defense

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Eric Pernie Attorney Insights

On Criminal Defense

“Every criminal case deserves an independent review of both the evidence and the investigation.”

On Police Reports

“A report should always be compared against body-camera footage, dash-camera footage, and other evidence.”

On DUI Cases

“A DUI arrest is only the beginning of the legal analysis. The evidence must still support the allegation.”

On Field Sobriety Tests

“Field sobriety tests are standardized procedures. Whether they were administered correctly often becomes an important question.”

On Breath Evidence

“Breath-testing evidence should be reviewed carefully rather than accepted automatically.”

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Frequently Asked Questions About Eric L. Pernie

Who is Eric L. Pernie?

Eric L. Pernie is a Michigan criminal defense and DUI attorney, former Bloomfield Township police officer, and partner at Fraiberg & Pernie. Before becoming an attorney, he accumulated more than a decade of law-enforcement experience.

Was Eric Pernie a police officer?

Yes. Eric Pernie previously served as a road patrol officer with the Bloomfield Township Police Department.

How long was Eric Pernie in law enforcement?

Pernie served in law enforcement for more than 10 years before becoming a criminal defense attorney.

Was Eric Pernie a Field Training Officer?

Yes. During his law-enforcement career, Pernie served as a Field Training Officer and trained new police officers.

Did Eric Pernie receive awards as a police officer?

Yes. Pernie received numerous accolades during his police career, including two lifesaving awards. One followed his efforts to revive a person in cardiac arrest, and another followed his resuscitation of a two-year-old child found unresponsive in a swimming pool.

Does Eric Pernie handle cases other than DUI?

Yes. His criminal-defense practice includes domestic violence, assault, drug crimes, theft and retail fraud, criminal traffic matters, misdemeanors, felonies, and other criminal allegations.

Does former police experience matter in criminal defense?

Prior law-enforcement experience can provide firsthand familiarity with police investigations, evidence collection, traffic stops, reports, searches, arrests, field sobriety testing, breath testing, and other procedures that may later become relevant in a criminal case.

It does not guarantee a particular result.

Does Eric Pernie handle OWI cases?

Yes. His practice includes first-offense OWI, High BAC, repeat OWI, drugged driving, implied-consent matters, and other Michigan drunk-driving cases.

Can body-camera footage affect a criminal case?

Potentially. Body-camera footage may confirm, contradict, or provide additional context for police reports, statements, searches, physical condition, witness behavior, and other disputed events.

Where does Eric Pernie practice?

Pernie represents clients throughout Oakland County, Wayne County, Macomb County, and Southeast Michigan.

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Why Clients Consider Eric Pernie

Eric Pernie’s professional background combines two perspectives within the Michigan criminal justice system:

Former Police Officer → More than a decade of experience involving investigations, traffic stops, evidence, witnesses, arrests, DUI enforcement and police procedures.

Criminal Defense Attorney → Representation of individuals accused of criminal and drunk-driving offenses throughout Southeast Michigan.

That background can be particularly relevant when a case requires close examination of:

• Police reports

• Body-camera footage

• Traffic stops

• Searches

• Officer observations

• Witness statements

• Evidence collection

• Field sobriety testing

• Breath testing

• Constitutional issues

The objective is not to assume that police were right or wrong.

It is to determine:

What does the evidence actually prove?

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Speak With Eric L. Pernie

If you were arrested, charged with a crime, accused of DUI or OWI, or are facing another criminal allegation in Michigan, the case should be evaluated based on its actual facts and evidence.

Eric L. Pernie’s background as both a Michigan criminal defense attorney and former Bloomfield Township police officer provides firsthand familiarity with many of the investigative procedures that can become important in a criminal prosecution.

Fraiberg & Pernie represents individuals facing criminal charges throughout Oakland County, Wayne County, Macomb County, and Southeast Michigan.

Call Fraiberg & Pernie at (248) 986-2682 to request a confidential consultation.

Eric L. Pernie
Michigan Criminal Defense Attorney
Partner, Fraiberg & Pernie
Former Bloomfield Township Police Officer

Fraiberg & Pernie
1000 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Suite 103
Birmingham, Michigan 48009
(248) 986-2682

Last Reviewed and Updated: September 2026