Matthew J. Ruff Law Blog

For many, the prospect of appearing in Court can be a terrifying experience indeed.  Among the questions are What should I say to the Judge?  Will the Court require that I post bail? Should I appear with an attorney? etc.

What you must understand is that no one inside the judicial system cares about your case.  The only individual that cares is a retained attorney who will be acting as your advocate.  Without an attorney you will be at the mercy of a public defender ... Read More

California Law proscribes that anyone with a .08 or higher blood alcohol level will be in violation of 23152b of the vehicle code.  However, that law does not cover those that are under the age of 21.  Most Underage DUI Lawyers will tell you that the current trend of the law is to tighten enforcement for minors who drink and drive.... Read More

Recently, in the case of People vs. Torres a California Appellate Court tossed out a conviction for DUI in a case where a jury found the defendant guilty of driving under the influence of DUI.  As a Los Angeles DUI lawyer I have seen this scenario many times.  The Court found that there is substantial evidence Torres was under the influence of ethamphetamine when he was arrested. He admitted recent methamphetamine use, he exhibited symptom... Read More

In California, as in many parts of the country, the law allows companies to buy information from local police departments that contain the names and addresses of persons arrested for criminal offenses.  This information is then sold to attorneys that send letters to the people soliciting legal services.  In my experience, most folks find this to be an incredible invasion of their privacy and is very unnerving to recieve at their home.  The danger exists in the sense that many of t... Read More

California interprets domestic violence as any case involving a family member, a spouse, past or present or anyone with whom you have had a dating relationship with.  As a Los Angeles Domestic Violence Attorney , I am often asked whether anger management classes are required if a person is convicted of a crime involving a person described above.  The answer is yes.  If an individua... Read More

An El Monte city manager was arrested early this week on suspicion of soliciting prostitution in Pomona according to a local Los Angeles Prostitution Defense Attorney .  The city manager, was among 30 suspects arrested during a six-hour sting, which began at 6 p.m. near east Holt Boulevard. He was cited, given a court date and released, Pomona police said. The city official referred all questions about ... Read More

In California the law recognizes two distinct types of theft classifications, petty theft and grand theft.  As a Los Angeles Petty Theft Defense Attorney, I am frequently asked the distinction between the two and whether if the theft is from a person is it always grand theft.  First, the main difference between the two is petty is a misdemeanor and grand theft is a felony.  The threshold inquiry is the ... Read More

With the economy in the pits and many folks out of work it is no surprise to see people reosrting to criminal acts such as extortion in order to make ends meet.  The Letterman case is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to extortion attempts against celebrities and the rich.  Due to the huge potential to make big money quick, the extortionist looks for those who have put themselves in compromising situations such as extramarital affairs and other embarrasing situations when viewed... Read More

In California, the vehicle code does not differentiate a dui from drugs versus alcohol, the statute is found in vehicle code section 23152, which allows for a DUI for either drugs or alcohol or both.  With that being said, as a Malibu DUI Attorney, I have seen countless cases of arrests for drug impairment, alcohol impairment and both alcohol and drugs and I have seen the prosecution of these cases with mixed resu... Read More

An "APS" suspension is grounded in the vehicle code in California's widely used "implied consent" laws: the law provides that any person driving in this state is "presumed" to impliedly consent to chemical testing if he is suspected of drunk driving. It would certainly seem, however, that the procedure violates the U.S. Constitution. First, there appears to be a presumption of guilt and lack of due process: the officer is judge, jury and executioner. Second, it... Read More