Criminal Defense

The Law Offices of Joel D. Hand handle every level of criminal case; from infractions to misdemeanors, to all levels of felonies.  Joel has tried in excess of eighty criminal jury trials and several hundred criminal bench trials.  Having an attorney on your side with more than a decade of prosecution experience is invaluable to protecting your rights.  Joel regularly handles the following types of criminal cases:

          Battery

          Burglary

          Conversion

          Dealing Drugs (Cocaine, Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Prescription Drugs)

          DUI / DWI / OWI / OVWI / OMBWI / Drunk Driving / Drugged Driving

          Domestic Battery

          Driving While Suspended

          Drug possession / Drug dealing

          Expungements

          Failure to Stop After an Accident

          Felonies

          Firearms

          Forfeitures (Civil or Criminal)

          Garrity Interviews

          Habitual Offenders

          Habitual Traffic Violator

          Handguns

          Hardship Licenses

          Hit and Run

          Illegal Searches

          Infractions

          Invasion of Privacy

          Juvenile Offenses

          Marijuana

          Methamphetamine

          Misdemeanors

          Neglect of a Dependent

          No Contact Order Violations

          Operating While Intoxicated

          Possession of Cocaine

          Possession of Marijuana

          Possession of Methamphetamine

          Possession of Prescription Drugs

          Possession of Schedule Drugs

          Post-Conviction Relief (PCRs)

          Prescription Drugs

          Probation Violations

          Reckless Driving

          Resisting Law Enforcement

          Restricted Disclosure of Criminal Records

          Robbery

          Seatbelt Violations

          Sentence Modifications

          Sobriety Checkpoints

          Theft

          Traffic Violations

          Trespass

Administrative Law & Education Law

Joel formerly served as an Administrative Law Judge for an Indiana state agency and handled numerous administrative hearings.  Joel's familiarity with the processes and procedures of administrative hearings allows him to represent his clients before Administrative Law Judges, hearing officers and state boards effectively and efficiently.  When faced with an administrative hearing in which professional or business licensure, unemployment benefits, special education rights, or any other administrative law matters are at stake, you want to have an attorney with the background knowledge to effectively represent your interests and protect your rights. 
Joel regularly handles the following types of administrative and education law cases:

          Bureau of Motor Vehicles Administrative Hearings & Appeals

          Case Conference Committees (Special Education)

          Department of Child Services Hearings & Appeals

          Department of Workforce Development Hearings & Appeals

          Special Education 504 Hearings & Appeals

          Student Discipline (Suspension/Expulsion) Hearings & Appeals

          Teacher License Suspension/Revocation Hearings & Appeals

          Unemployment Insurance Hearings & Appeals

Family Law

Nothing is more important than your family.  So, when it comes to matters of family law, you should be confident that the attorney you chose to represent you will fight as hard for you as they would for their own family.  Joel will take the time to explain your rights and the legal process and fight to protect your rights in court.  Joel regularly handles the following types of family law matters:

          Child Custody Modifications

          Child in Need of Services (CHINS) cases

          Child Support

          Department of Child Services Investigations, Hearings & Appeals

          Paternity Actions

Lobbying/Government Relations

When choosing a firm to represent your interests before the Indiana General Assemby, the Indianapolis City-County Council, or any other county or city council or board, you want someone who can effectively and ethically present your interests to our elected and appointed officials.  Having experience working with all levels of local, state and federal government is important in adequately representing clients.  Joel has previous experience working on Capitol Hill, the Indiana State House and with a number of local governments throughout Indiana.  Joel is a registered lobbyist in Indiana who is widely respected on both sides of the political aisle and can work effectively to accomplish his client's goals. Joel has assisted in the drafting and crafting of many pieces of legislation over the years and has successfully lobbied against other legislation deemed harmful to clients' goals and objectives.