Morehead City Criminal Defense Attorney

If you were charged in Morehead City, your case will not be heard in Morehead City. Carteret County has one courthouse and it is in Beaufort, about fifteen minutes across the bridge. That is where your court date will be, and it is where Joel Hancock is most weeks. He has defended criminal and traffic cases in Carteret County since 2013.

Charges Joel Hancock defends for Morehead City clients

• DWI, including a first offense, a repeat charge, and refusal of the breath test
• Traffic tickets, from speeding on Arendell Street to driving while license revoked
• Drug charges, from simple possession to trafficking
• Misdemeanors, including assault, larceny, and trespassing
• Felonies, including breaking and entering, serious assaults, and drug felonies
• Boating while impaired, which matters on this stretch of the Crystal Coast
• Expungements, to clear an eligible charge or conviction off your record

Getting to court from Morehead City

Court is at the Carteret County Courthouse in Beaufort. Plan for traffic on the Beaufort bridge, particularly in summer, and give yourself more time than the map suggests. Arrive early. Being late is treated much the same as not showing up.

For many waivable traffic offenses, Joel can appear on your behalf, which means no drive and no day off work. For a DWI, a non-waivable traffic charge, or anything more serious, you will need to be there in person, and he will tell you what to expect before you go.

Summer charges on the Crystal Coast

Morehead City’s population swells in season, and so do the charges that come with it: impaired boating, underage drinking, open container, and traffic stops on the way back from the beach. Visitors get charged here too, and an out-of-town address does not make the court date optional. If you were charged while visiting, call before you leave the area so the case can be handled properly.

Why local matters here

Joel Hancock was born and raised on Harkers Island. Criminal and traffic defense is the whole practice, and Carteret County is the only county where he does it. He is in front of the same judges, assistant district attorneys, and clerks nearly every week, so he knows how a charge like yours tends to move through this courthouse.

What it costs

Joel charges flat fees, quoted before you hire him, so you know the number up front. In most cases he can set up a payment plan. The first conversation is free, and if hiring him would cost you more than the charge is likely to, he will say so rather than take the case.

Talk to a Morehead City criminal defense attorney

Call 252-515-1516 or send a message below. The first conversation is free and confidential.

This page is general information about the firm’s practice, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.