For as long as Melissa remembers, she wanted to be a lawyer. Melissa is from Columbia City, Indiana, and has lived in Indiana all her life, except for two years attending law school. She graduated from IU- Bloomington with majors in Communications and English. While at IU, she was a member of the Speech Team and a dedicated Little 500 rider. After graduating, she attended California Western School of Law in San Diego, CA. While in law school, she participated on the school’s moot court teams and competed nationally. She specialized in family and criminal law, and worked for the Juvenile Public Defender’s Office while in school. She was also a member of Phi Alpha Delta, and volunteered at the Family Law Court, assisting low- income persons with family law matters.
Melissa has been in practice since 2002. After graduation, Melissa returned to Indiana to work in Indianapolis for the Marion County Public Defender’s Office for two years. Hoping to expand her experience in criminal law, she worked for the Tippecanoe and Boone County Prosecutor’s Offices for the next ten years, specializing in OWI cases. She was recognized by MADD for her outstanding service. In Boone County, she started the Crash Team, a team of specially trained officers to deal with persons having vehicular accidents and charged with crimes. She has tried several cases to a jury and argued many more contested motions and bench trials to the Court. She opened her private practice in 2016.
Melissa dedicates her practice to criminal law. This allows her to stay updated on the ever changing criminal code and case law.
Melissa offers quality legal service at reasonable rates. She understands the difficult situation you are in and will help you to the best of her ability.
Law Office of Melissa Garten, LLC
85 E. Cedar Street
Zionsville, IN 46077
317-410-7287
Melissa@lomgarten.com