Top Compton DUI Attorney Criminal Defense Lawyer
☎️ Call Matt Direct at 310-527-4100
Matthew Ruff has been fighting and winning criminal cases for his clients for over 25 years. He is a TOP TIER criminal defense attorney nationally recognized as a SUPERB LAWYER by AVVO and awarded 5 stars by Yelp based on his many positive client reviews and customer feedback. A common question is what is the penalty for drunk driving? The maximum penalty is 6 months in the county jail for a first offense, but this is almost never imposed. The more likely consequence will be a loss of your drivers license, substantial fines, a huge increase in insurance and a permanent mark on your DMV record. However, there are many ways to avoid the harsh consequences by retaining a lawyer to fight the case. Contact Matthew Ruff, Top DUI Attorney in Compton California, known nationwide as the "Master of DUI Defense".
The Highest Success Rate!
Matt was called upon to fight a case for a veteran arrested for driving while intoxicated on the 710 freeway after his car had a flat tire. The CHP responded and the officer detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from the vehicle and slurred speech. The client was asked to exit and perform some field sobriety tests which the officer claims he failed. A breath test was administered and the results were nearly twice the legal limit. When he was released he missed his Court date so a bench warrant was issued. The client began searching for a DUI Attorney in Compton California and found Matthew. Matt got involved and got the warrant recalled. He then filed a motion seeking to dismiss the case. The Judge hearing the case granted the motion in light of the client's prior military service. ALL CHARGES DROPPED!
On October 10, 2023 Matt got driving under the influence (VC23152A) and hit and run charges (VC20002) dismissed in Compton Court. The facts were as follows: Officers responded to the intersection of Sepulveda and Figueroa Street in Carson California after getting a 911 call of a collision. Upon arrival the police spoke to a witness who related he saw a male run away from the crash. A demolished vehicle was left at the scene. Minutes later, officers detained the client who was unsteady on his feet and smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot and watery eyes and slurred speech. Officers administered field sobriety tests and based on the performance of these tests the client was arrested. A blood test was requested and the client was booked. The blood alcohol test later came back .19 BAC. Through negotiations with the District Attorney, Matthew was able to resolve the case with a reduced charge and the HIT AND RUN AND DUI CHARGE WAS DISMISSED!
Matthew was retained by a young man arrested for DUI by LASD after a traffic collision. The client took a blood test which came back .19 BAC. Matt immediately stopped the license suspension through the DMV and got a formal hearing to challenge the evidence. At the hearing the lawyer established the blood results were inadmissible because the evidence failed to show the client was lawfully arrested. The hearing officer agreed and set aside the license suspension. The client got his license back.
Matt was referred a client that was facing Felony DUI charges in the Compton Courthouse. The case was challenging because the District Attorney of Los Angeles County was seeking prison time for the young lady. Matt knew he had to do everything he could to prevent that from happening. The charges were felony because the client had 3 prior convictions for driving under the influence in the last 10 years and this new case made it her 4th. Matt set the case for a preliminary hearing where a Judge could evaluate the evidence and determine whether the case would go forward. In the process the attorney saw a weakness in one of the prior convictions and argued the felony charges should be dropped. A Judge agreed and DISMISSED THE FELONY DUI.
Matt was hired by a client facing a second DUI in Compton Court and needed his help because the first case had not been resolved and a warrant had been issued. Matt got the reports and learned the BAC was a .28 and the officer observed very erratic driving. Matt fought the case despite these horrible facts. The attorney filed what is called a PC1538.5 motion to get the case dismissed. The Prosecutor fought back but ultimately the entire case was dismissed!
Compton California is one of the oldest cities in Los Angeles County. DUI cases and all criminal offenses within the jurisdiction are aggressively prosecuted by the L.A. District Attorneys office. What is vitally important following a DUI arrest is that the DMV must be contacted and an administrative hearing must be requested. The city is located southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It was the 8th city in the region to incorporate. Once, the area had its own Police department, but now the town contracts with the Sheriff to provide law enforcement. The area has been popularized by the mainstream media due to the origination of many hip hop and "Gangster Rap" stars. Inside the Compton municipality, many law enforcement agencies patrol and actively stop and investigate potential drunk driving suspects. Within the surrounding communities, which include Paramount, Lynwood and Carson, sobriety checkpoints designed to ensnare DUI drivers are abundant. As a local Compton DUI attorney, Matthew Ruff has represented clients in all of these cities.
Not surprisingly, most of the DUI stops that end up in the Compton Court take place on the 405 freeway, 105 or the 91 and are initiated by the California Highway Patrol. One of the first things any good DUI lawyer looks for when assessing a drunk driving arrest is whether the initial stop and detention were done within constitutional guidelines. Indeed, many police pullovers are done when the officer does not have the legal amount of reasonable suspicion (sometimes referred to as probable cause). When this is the case, a DUI attorney will file what is called a motion to suppress based on insufficient cause to stop and detain the vehicle. In the last 25 years Matthew Ruff has filed many of these motions for his clients and has had all manner of criminal charges thrown out of Court as a result, including driving under the influence, drug possession charges, and many others.
What is the difference between a marijuana DUI and alcohol DUI? In California the two are treated very differently even though the punishment is essentially the same. First, with alcohol the law gives the prosecution a major advantage because it criminalizes driving if it can be proven your blood alcohol level was at of above .08 REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU ARE ACTUALLY IMPAIRED. Conversely, with drugs such as cannabis the prosecution must prove the driver was actually impaired to a degree they can no longer drive the vehicle safely. Matthew is extremely knowledgeable on how THC affects the human body and knows how to successfully defend these charges in Court. Matt's success record is one of the best in Los Angeles County.
Contact Matt direct 310-527-4100
Among the countless victories obtained in the Compton Court, here are some recent examples: An out of state resident was visiting the L.A. area on a business trip. He was stopped on the 91 freeway near paramount and bellfower for "weaving". The driver was arrested after the CHP officer found he failed the field sobriety tests. he was given a breath test which showed a .14% blood alcohol level. He was issued a citation to appear in the Compton Court and knew he needed an experienced Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney to not only go to Court for him, but keep the DUI off his record. Mr. Ruff was retained and immediately began looking for legal discrepancies which he could use to get the charges dismissed. He found that the officer made numerous mistakes during the investigation and he capitalized on these to eventually have all charges dropped in late 2008.
Exceeding the expectations of our clients is the daily mantra that the Law Offices of Matthew Ruff strives for. In one recent case Matthew was hired by a young lady charged with felony DUI in Compton Court, she had taken a breath test that showed a .12% BAC level. The client has previously gone with the public defender and was frustrated by the performance of her lawyer. Facing 3 years in state prison, the client came to Mr. Ruff with very little hope of getting out from under the serious criminal drunk driving charges she was facing in Compton Superior Court. Attorney Ruff took her case, went to the preliminary hearing and afterwards filed what is called a 995 motion to dismiss. The entire Felony DUI case was dismissed and the client was elated, she could now go on and provide for her family and lead a productive life without a felony on her record.
Another Compton case that ended with great results was a client arrested for driving under the influence of drugs, possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Matthew Ruff was hired and he believed his client who informed him the Los Angeles Sheriff Deputy did not have probable cause to stop and detain his vehicle. The deputy alleged that he saw the client swerve and violate the vehicle code by unsafe speed and unlawful turning movement. Mr. Ruff filed a motion to suppress all evidence in the case based on the illegal traffic stop. During the motion hearing in Court the Judge agreed with Matthew and granted his request to have the case dismissed.
3 Ways to Beat A Compton DUI or Criminal Charge
1. The LASD "pulled me over for no reason". This is called an unlawful detention and is illegal. Matt fights these cases by filing a motion to suppress and seeks to have the entire case dismissed. It is common in DUI cases for cops to pull people over for bad reasons such as race or curiosity. Matt gets to the root of these violations with great success.
2. Lack of Evidence. The DA must establish your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, this means the evidence has to be compelling. Matt scrutinizes the case to "poke holes" in the State's case and get charges dismissed.
3. Your Rights were violated. You have many Constitutional rights such as the right to a lawyer when being questioned and the right to have the police get a warrant to search your home. Matt knows these laws better than the cops and gets charges dropped when violations can be established.
The bottom line is that not all arrests have to result in a conviction and permanent scar on your criminal and DMV record. Attorney Matthew Ruff has nearly 25 years experience defending all DUI, drunk driving and criminal charges. He can help you as well.
Call for a no obligation review of your particular Compton, Carson, Lynwood or Paramount DUI or Criminal case today at 310-527-4100.
If you or someone close to you has been arrested for DUI in Compton CA, Matt can help. We also recall bench warrants and defend all other criminal charges including domestic violence, weapons and gun charges and all felony cases.