Top Los Angeles Domestic Violence Attorney

Domestic Violence crimes are unique. They are treated differently by prosecutors in Los Angeles because the "victims" are related to the perpetrator by blood, dating relationship or marriage. Because they are treated differently, you need a defense lawyer who understands the nuances of these charges. Withe 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE, Matthew has successfully defended hundreds of domestic related crimes .

EARLY INTERVENTION IS IMPORTANT

Hiring a lawyer as soon as possible after the incident is crucial to a favorable outcome in your case. Domestic Violence cases are unique in that the "victims" are family and loved ones of the accused. Prosecutors know that and understand that the victims will often try and thwart the prosecution by recanting and failing to cooperate. Therefore, investigators are instructed to get statements to "lock in" a victim, soon after the arrest. Having counsel to guide and advise the client is therefore invaluable. Also, in many cases a case can be diverted away from formal prosecution by reaching out to the District Attorney or City Attorney early, before charges are filed. One example of this is a case Matt handled where he was able to speak with the prosecutors and they agreed to resolve the case via mediation through an informal office hearing. No charges were ever filed.

30 years experience defending and fighting DV crimes makes all the difference! Make sure your lawyer has that level of experience. When you are charged with a crime such as spousal abuse, battery on a co-habitant or any other domestic related offense you want an attorney standing by your side with over two decades of "in the trenches" experience fighting and winning for his clients. Indeed, ever since the OJ Simpson case the laws have forever changed as it relates to domestic violence prosecutions. As if the arrest, high bail and jail experience were not bad enough, when you get into Court you will be surprised to learn that the DA will likely seek a protective order requiring you to stay away from the alleged victim in the case. This means that you may be ordered to move out of your own house or keep away from your wife, husband or significant other pending trial in the case.

The Highest Success Rate!

Matt was called upon to defend a client arrested in Los Angeles California for PC 273.5 Felony after she was involved in an altercation with her partner in Santa Clarita. The police were called out after her partner called 911 and reported abuse, including a scratch to his arm. LASD arrested the client and bail was set at $50,000.00, she bailed out and was given a Court date and immediately began searching for the best domestic violence lawyer in Los Angeles. She found Matt on Google and hired him over the phone. Matt immediately commenced an investigation and began assembling a comprehensive mitigation package. Matt fielded all calls by detectives and investigators and advised the client on steps moving forward. Matt reached out to the District Attorney and the case was rejected, ALL CHARGES DROPPED!

Top Los Angeles Domestic Violence Defense Attorney Matthew got ALL CHARGES DISMISSED in a case involving a couple going through a divorce and child custody proceedings when the ex husband made false allegations to the Redondo Beach Police Department that resulted in an arrest and formal charges of Penal Code 273.6(a) and 242, Violation of a Court Order and Battery. Matt listened to the client's story and understood she was innocent of the charges. He commenced an investigation that uncovered witnesses that came forward with exculpatory information and he presented this to the City Prosecutor who ultimately Dropped the charges.

Matt was hired by a family member after his father was arrested in Lawndale for PC245, assault as a felony. The accuser was another member of the family who alleged the client attacked her, choked her and tried to strangle her. The client asserted his innocence and countered that he was in fact the victim. The case was filed in Torrance Court by the elite VIP unit of the LADA where Matt set the case for a hearing. Substantial preparation and investigation was done, the results of which were turned over to the District Attorney. When the case came back for hearing ALL CHARGES WERE DISMISSED.

Matthew was retained by the family of a resident of Rancho Palos Verdes who was arrested by the LASD for felony spousal abuse (PC 273.5) after his wife reported she was attacked. She alleged she was choked, kicked, struck in the face and hit by the client during an argument about alleged infidelity. During his investigation Matt was able to show the report was false, that her injury was not caused by the client and that she lied. The District Attorney still pressed forward and offered a misdemeanor PC 243e1 as a settlement offer. Matthew advised his client not to take it and he aggressively pursued a dismissal of all charges, and nothing less. After months of litigationALL CHARGES WERE DISMISSED!

Call Matthew today for help: 310-527-4100

Yes, these offenses are treated much different from any other crime. The bottom line is that if the police are called out for a report of domestic violence and any evidence exists that a physical altercation occurred, SOMEONE IS GOING TO JAIL and it is most likely going to be the male in the relationship. The frightening reality is that a couple involved in any type of argument that evolves to the point that the police are called out are going to be very emotional and that will result in statements that will lead to false or exaggerated allegations of abuse. The good news is that an arrest for domestic violence does not have to result in a criminal conviction that can lead to loss of employment, licenses, citizenship, security clearances, child custody, humiliation, etc. Domestic Violence Attorney Matthew Ruff can help.

Question of the Day? My wife has told the DA that she does not want to "press charges" and want the case dropped, why am I still facing prosecution? Answer: In California the alleged victim in a domestic violence case is nothing more than a witness. The entity or person who decides whether a case will be filed and tried is the local prosecutor. They determine when and if the charges will be dropped or not and it is usually based on the strength of the evidence. It is commonly understand that most victims in DV cases will recant if given enough time. Experts for the state will attribute that to the belief that the spouse will feel remorse, sympathy or guilt and that they will sometimes be pressured for financial reasons. Therefore, the case often boils down to the corroborative evidence not the most recent statements of an alleged victim. This includes whether the initial statements of assault match the physical evidence, whether there were any admissions to to crime and the existence of a 911 tape that can be examined to reveal reliable and credible evidence.

What lies ahead in Court? As stated before, most people are shocked to learn that when they arrive in Court for the arraignment the DA will demand a "protective order" against the accused often prohibiting him or her from having any contact with the alleged victim, an order to stay away from the family home and possibly even his or her own children. This order is required in any domestic violence case if the circumstances warrant it and the District Attorney will often demand it for a couple of reasons. The purported reason is that any future violence will be deterred. However, many lawyers assert that the true reason is to put pressure on an accused to want to resolve the Court case by pleading guilty or no contest in order to have the stay away order modified to allow the parties to be re-united and allow the defendant to return to the family home. The prosecutors will never admit this but the reality is that it happens in many cases.

The fact is that it happen when you least expect it, an arrest for a domestic violence offense. An innocuous verbal argument escalates into a physical confrontation with the wife, husband, boyfriend or girlfriend and the police get called. Once at the scene, the law enforcement officers begin to jump to conclusions, taking sides with the one they deem to be most credible, sympathetic or both. Someone gets taken to jail and proceed to spend the night in custody and thereafter are compelled to post an exorbitant amount for bail, often upwards of $50,000 in many instances. For those seeking to clear their name and seek vindication, or just trying to resolve the matter without the stigma of a criminal conviction Los Angeles criminal attorney Matthew Ruff is there to help. For over fifteen years he has fought the good fight for his clients, clearing their names, getting cases dismissed in Court, and in many situations convincing the District Attorney to drop all charges even before the case gets in to the Court system. 

Over the course of his extensive career, Matthew has defended all types of domestic violence charges in Los Angeles County. Among them are violations of Penal Code 273.5 (commonly referred to as "spousal abuse"), 243(e)(1) or spousal assault and battery, PC 422 or criminal threats, PC 245 or assault with force or a weapon, along with every conceivable criminal offense that can be cooked up by overzealous cops and prosecutors. 

The problem with many lawyers who claim to defend domestic violence cases in Los Angeles is that they are quick to recommend that their clients take a "deal" in order to close out the case. Not so with attorney Ruff, he believes that most criminal charges brought against ordinary folks arrested for domestic violence are unfounded and are filed simply because the prosecution is afraid to dismiss for fear that the future might bring further violence, this in known as the "O.J" effect and it is prominent in most D.A.'s minds. Los Angeles Domestic Violence Lawyer Matthew J. Ruff has one of the highest dismissal rates in the county. While many other lawyers believe begging the DA for a plea bargain is the best course of action, Matthew has the insight and knowledge to understand this strategy is often not the best course of action when dealing with charges of domestic violence.

Contact Matt directly at 310-527-4100

Recent Case Results:

A Redondo Beach resident was accused of domestic violence by his girlfriend and mother of his child. It all started with an argument about another woman and escalated when the girlfriend started to use force. The client defended himself and the police were called, who do you think got arrested? The client hired Matthew Ruff who knew what to do, he went to Court in Torrance and refused any plea bargains. The case was set for trial and the prosecution caved, the charges were dismissed after Matthew made a motion to the Court for the charges to be dropped in May of 2014.

Matthew Ruff was hired by a client in Manhattan Beach soon after he was arrested and charged with assault on his girlfriend, PC 243(e)(1). The client asserted his innocence to the arresting officers to no avail, he was booked and had to bail out on $20,000 bail. The client was given a Court date in Torrance and released. The very next day he hired Matthew who immediately got his investigator to interview the complaining witness, who by this time had changed her story about the events. Matthew opened a dialog with the investigating detective. He submitted exculpatory evidence to the District Attorney via the detective. Soon thereafter he was able obtain a letter that the DA was dropping the case and would not pursue criminal charges. The client never had to appear in Court.

Domestic Violence arrest (PC 273.5) in Long Beach CA, client accused of striking spouse during argument about an alleged affair. Neighbor calls police. Client faced loss of employment. Attorney Ruff was hired and all charges dropped.

Domestic Violence arrest (PC 273.5) in Torrance CA, client arrested after physical altercation causing injury to spouse. As a Top Tier Domestic Violence Defense Lawyer Matt knows the legal defenses that work in DV cases. He put together a defense using the police report and filed motions to get the case dismissed.

Domestic Violence arrest PC 243(e)(1) in Rancho Palos Verdes CA, client was taken to jail after fight with wife. Client facing immigration consequences if convicted. Matthew Ruff was hired and immediately took steps to mitigate and explain the incident, Result: All charges dropped August 2010.

Domestic Violence arrest PC 243(e)(1) in Redondo Beach CA. Girlfriend accused client of assault during an argument after a night of drinking, roommate calls police. Client was facing loss of security clearance. Client went to Court and was made an offer to a reduced charge with one year of counseling. Matthew Ruff was thereafter retained and implemented a strategy that resulted in the entire case being dismissed, no plea to any charge, no classes, CASE DISMISSED in July 2010.

The most common question that people have when facing a criminal prosecution for domestic violence in the Los Angeles area is: What are my options? Option number one is you can accept the charge, plead guilty or no contest and be required to complete weeks or even a year of anger management counseling, pay enormous costs to the Court, the city and the counseling center, be compelled to complete cal trans or some other type of community service and get stuck with a protective order which restrains your freedom to travel as you wish. The other option is to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney who can fight for your rights against the prosecution, someone who can get baseless charges dropped, sometimes without having to go to Court at all, and in cases where litigation is necessary, someone who knows the judicial system well and is not afraid to go head to head with the City or District Attorney pressing the case.

Is it legal to use force against an aggressive spouse? Yes, the law does not exclude domestic violence cases from the self defense rule. If your girlfriend is attacking you YOU DO NOT HAVE TO RETREAT you can stand your ground and use reasonable force to defend yourself, even if it results in injury to your girlfriend, wife or significant other. 

Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Matthew Ruff understands that oftentimes domestic violence allegations are made by individuals with some ulterior motive such as anger, jealousy, money, custody of children, interest in obtaining a more favorable settlement in a pending divorce, the list goes on and on. For those facing charges it may seem like the system is against you and that pleading guilty is the only way out. Call the lawyer who has handled close to a thousand domestic violence related cases over the last 25 years, an advocate who puts his client's interests above his own, and goes the extra mile to get the best result.

Top 3 Ways To Get a Domestic Violence Charge Dropped

1. Self Defense. California law allows you to use reasonable force to defend yourself against an attack on your person. This means even if the attacker is your wife or girlfriend you have no obligation to retreat or get your ass beat. Matt has defended and won countless cases where his client injured a spouse but it was in self defense.

2. Your Rights Were Violated. You have a litany of Constitutional Rights which the police must respect. If one of your rights is violated during the arrest the case can be thrown out For example, if the police come out to your house and enter without a search warrant, consent or some emergency the case could be dismissed because your fourth amendment rights were violated.

3. You Are Innocent. In many domestic violence cases the alleged victim lies and falsifies statements in order to get you arrested and charged. Matthew is a master in uncovering false evidence and exposing liars. If you are falsely accused of spousal abuse, domestic assault, battery or criminal threats Matt can help get your case dismissed.

Call Matthew today at 310-527-4100

There is a great deal to be gained by hiring Matthew Ruff as early as possible after your release in any domestic violence cases. As you can see by his past successes, he has managed to get the DA to DROP THE CHARGES in many of his cases due to the collection and presentation of exculpatory statements and evidence. Matthew has over 25 years experience as a Top Tier Domestic Violence Defense Lawyer, Matt knows the DA handling your case, he knows the Judge and he knows how to get your case resolved!

Matthew J. Ruff is a Los Angeles based criminal defense attorney licensed to practice law in the state of California and "A" rated by the Better Business Bureau. The information contained on this page relating to the defense of domestic violence cases is not intended to constitute specific legal advice about any particular case, nor is the information meant to pertain to cases outside the state of California. If you or someone you care about is facing serious charges of spousal abuse, assault, battery, making threats, injury, vandalism, violation of a Court order, harassment or harassing phone calls, or similar allegations, nothing compares to a one on one consultation with a lawyer.