Joel Hand has over 25 years of experience as an Indiana attorney and an impressive list of accomplishments.
Criminal Law & Traffic Law
Joel Hand has broad experience not only as a criminal defense attorney but also as a deputy prosecuting attorney in three different Indiana Counties - Marion County, Hamilton County, and Carroll County.
Trials: Mr. Hand has conducted over a hundred jury trials and hundreds of bench trials, from misdemeanors to major felonies to murder. He has prosecuted or defended charges of drug dealing, drug possession, marijuana possession, illegal firearms and handgun possession, domestic violence, battery, neglect of a dependent, theft, shoplifting, conversion, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating while intoxicated (OWI) causing death, operating while intoxicated (OWI) causing serious bodily injury, driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI), robbery, burglary, and many more.
Other criminal proceedings: In addition to trial work, specialized driving petitions, petitions for rescission of lifetime suspension, probation violations, community corrections violations, and expungements.
Traffic offense experience: As a prosecutor in Marion County, Joel created the concept and obtained federal grant funding for the Fatal Alcohol Crash Team (F.A.C.T.), interviewed and selected all the F.A.C.T. law enforcement officers, and served as the team's first prosecuting attorney and as liaison to the Marion County Traffic Safety Partnership. He also served as the first Hamilton County's F.A.C.T. prosecutor and as liaison to the Hamilton County Traffic Safety Partnership. In 2004, Mr. Hand was named as the first ever Indiana Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor for the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council where he provided training to police and prosecutors throughout Indiana and across the country. Since going into private practice, Joel has defended numerous moving and non-moving traffic violations including speeding, reckless driving, driving without a license, driving on a suspended license, leaving the scene of an accident, operating as a habitual traffic violator (HTV) and more. He assists clients with license reinstatements and specialized driving privileges (or SDPs, previously called hardship licenses). His clients include those with commercial driving licenses (or CDLs). He understands how vital it is for CDL drivers to keep TSA points off their record and works closely with several trucking companies to assist their drivers.
Education Law
Growing up in a family of educators, Joel has long had a special interest in education issues. In fact, his college education included a minor in secondary education, and he previously held an Indiana teacher's license. He has worked for the Indiana Department of Education as Legal Counsel and as Director of Legislative and Governmental Relations. In private practice he handles 504 hearings and appeals and Special Education Case Conference Committee meetings; Development of Individual Education Plans (IEPs), Student Discipline (suspensions and expulsions) hearings and appeals; and hearings and appeals for suspension or revocation of teacher licenses.
Administrative Law
When Joel was Legal Counsel at the Indiana Department of Education, he served as an administrative law judge and, in addition to the administrative matters discussed above, he handles a variety of matters in state administrative agencies, including hearings and appeals with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles; Indiana State Police (Fire Arms Licensing - Appeals for denials of fire arms permits), Department of Workforce Development hearings and appeals; Indiana Physical Therapy Board (Licenses for Physical Therapists), Department of Education (Teacher Licensing appeals) and unemployment insurance hearings and appeals.
Lobbying
Mr. Hand is a registered legislative lobbyist in Indiana and works on behalf of clients in the Indiana General Assembly. He can work successfully on both sides of the political aisle, draft proposed legislation, and amendments to benefit his clients, or oppose legislation that would hurt his clients.
