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Aggressive Criminal Defense Lawyer Matthew J. Ruff, top-rated criminal defense attorney with 30 years of experience, offers direct communication and personalized attention, specializing in defending clients charged with various criminal offenses throughout California.

Top Rated Criminal Defense Attorney 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Former DA Office Experience!

Speak Directly With Matthew!

☎️ Call or Text Matt on his Cell at 310-686-1533

(You Will Not Be "Passed Off" To A Secretary or Paralegal)

Why hire Matthew J. Ruff? First of all he is a Top Tier California Criminal Defense Attorney with 30 years experience defending clients charged with all types of criminal offenses. You shouldn't settle for second best when it comes to fighting a criminal or DUI case. Secondly, Matthew is TOP RATED by all the major lawyer associations, this comes from getting the best client reviews. If you or a relative is facing an upcoming Court date you shouldn't settle for second best. Mr. Ruff knows that being arrested and accused of a criminal offense can, and most often is, the most traumatic and frightening experience a person can go through in their entire life. With two decades of defending clients, he has the connections, the knowledge and wisdom to get you through the tough time ahead of you. He has the the experience of handling over 4000 criminal cases. Matt handles cases throughout California.

Case of the Week

Matthew was successful in saving another drivers license following a DWI arrest in Santa Clarita California. The case was very interesting and the police report read as follows: "CHP Dispatch advised of a driver asleep at the wheel and blocking traffic lanes on 1-5 s/b (Golden State Freeway) to Rye Canyon Road. I was wearing full tan CHP uniform and driving a fully marked black and white CHP patrol vehicle. I responded from I5 s/b (Golden State Freeway) at Parker Road and arrived on scene at approximately 2003 hours. As I drove to the location; I observed a large white, Ford F-250 (subject vehicle) stopped at the limit line of the off-ramp traffic light. Several vehicles were stopped behind the subject vehicle. I positioned my patrol vehicle at the left rear of the subject vehicle and exited my patrol vehicle. I walked ot the driver door of the subject vehicle and observed a man slumped over the steering wheel. I peered into the subject vehicle and saw the vehicle's transmission was in "drive" and the driver (subject) was breathing. I asked CHP Dispatch to route me another officer ot assist with this incident: Officer #15576, responded, and when she arrived on scene, she positioned her patrol vehicle head-on with the subject vehicle. I returned to my patrol vehicle and slowly moved the bumpers forward, stopping about an inch from the rear of the subject vehicle. Once we had made sure to limit the movement of the subject vehicle; I knocked on the driver window. The driver (subject) rolled the window down and I advised him to put the vehicle transmission in park. The subject moved his right hand to the center console monitor as I attempted to unlock the driver door. The subject eventualy put the transmission in park and unlocked the door. The subject exited the vehicle and he stepped out, nearly falling over in the process. I detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting trom his breath and his eyes were red and watery. I walked the subject to an asphalt shoulder on The Old Road and Officer K moved both our patrol vehicles and the subject vehicle to the right shoulder of The Old Road. The subject was identified by a valid California Driver License. I asked the subject a series of pre-FST questions and when asked, he admitted to drinking an alcoholic beverage prior ot driving. I explained and demonstrated a series of FST's for the subject to perform. During the FST's, the subject stated he knew he was "past the legal limit" for being intoxicated while driving. The subject did not perform the FST's as explained and demonstrated. Based on the totality of the circumstances, I arrested the subject for violation of 23152(a) VC." A breath test was later administered and the client blew a .15/.14 BAC.

Based on these facts Matthew demanded a DMV hearing and argued there was insuffient evidence of the time of driving in order to admit the breathalyzer results. The DMV agreed with Matthew and SET ASIDE THE SUSPENSION.

The Highest Success Rate!

Matt represented a client arrested on the 710 freeway for driving under the influence of alcohol. CHP officers observed the vehicle weaving across lanes of travel and stopped her vehicle. The officers detected the odor of alcohol and other alleged symptoms of intoxication. The client was given a litany of field sobriety tests and did not perform them to the officer's satisfaction. Ultimately a field breath test was performed and she blew a .15/.14 BAC on the test, she was arrested. The client was a local refinery worker and was concerned about her job if she was convicted of DUI. Matt took the case and was dedicated to finding a way to avoid the consequences the client feared. Matt obtained all pertinent reports and evidence and appeared in Court on the case. In Court Matt sat down with the District Attorney and explained what he believed were weaknesses in the case reports and discussed mitigating factors such as the client's clean criminal record and spotless DMV history. The DA listened and agreed to DROP THE DUI CHARGES and reduce the offense to a wet reckless. How was Matt able to beat the DUI in this case? It wasn't because the breath test was not accurate, nor was it because the client was not under the influence, it was because an experienced attorney can identify weaknesses in the police reports and expose those problems to the prosecutor in order to have a better "bargaining position" when negotiating a drunk driving case in Court. Matt has close to 30 years fighting criminal cases and he can spot issues quicker than less experienced lawyers.

On August 1, 2023 Matthew was successful in getting charges dismissed for child endangerment and DUI for a client in Los Angeles. The case stemmed from an arrest by CHP on the 101 freeway near downtown LA. The client was pulled over for weaving and failed FST tests, she had her 8 year old son in the the car at the time. She was arrested and blew above the per se limit of .08 BAC. The results were made even more special given the fact the client was a nurse. Dismissal of the child endangerment and DUI charges spared her from a certain loss of her nursing license and horrific long term consequences. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARGES DROPPED! Matt was retained by a client arrested and charged with Penal Code 273.5 after he was accused of hitting his domestic partner during an altercation. The police were called out because the partner believed they could help "mediate" their dispute, little did he know that when this happens someone usually ends up going to jail. The key difference in this case was Matt was referred by another lawyer and the client hired him immediately after the arrest. By retaining an attorney quickly, Matt was able to reach out to the local prosecutor and intervene before charges were filed. The case was dropped completely and the client never had to appear in Court.

The proliferation of Fentanyl in this Country has resulted in the increase of criminal prosecutions for possession of this controlled substance for sale. Matthew recently defended a client arrested in his home in Los Angeles after the LASD served a search warrant and found over 2 Kilograms of Fentanyl and Methamphetamine. The client was a young man, easily influenced by his peers. The District Attorney was seeking prison time, however Matt fought the case and resolved the charges for CREDIT FOR TIME SERVED and PROBATION.

Case Law Update!

A California Court of Appeal has ruled that the current bail system in the state creates an unfair tax on poor people and not considering a defendant's financial ability to post bail can violate the Constitution. The case is In re Kenneth Humphrey. This legal opinion now gives those persons incarcerated on a criminal charge an argument to seek release on house arrest or be granted a lower bail if it can be established they lack the financial ability to post the statutory bail set In the case. This case is groundbreaking in the sense that it recognizes what many have believed for years, that the bail system is prejudiced in favor of the rich. Using this case, it is possible that a defense attorney can obtain release of a criminal defendant that is being held in custody pending trial and has not been able to afford bail.

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Matthew J. Ruff Attorney at Law Matthew J. Ruff Attorney at Law
Contact 877-213-4453
Address
18411 Crenshaw Blvd
Suite 417
Torrance, CA 90504
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