Matthew J. Ruff Law Blog

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

The South Bay DUI task force will be conducting sobriety checkpoints from: 7:30 tonight to 3 a.m. Saturday in the eastbound lanes of El Segundo Boulevard at Halldale Avenue in Gardena California.

seven this evening until 3 a.m. Saturday on Alameda Street north of Sepulveda Boulevard and on Avalon Boulevard north of Carson Street in Carson.  Various police agencies will be participating in the exercise.

7:30 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday at Rosecrans and Isis avenues in Haw... Read More

The answer to this question is an unequivocal no.  In fact, the police have every legal right to ask for your permission to search your car or home. However, you have every legal right to refuse. Unless there is probable cause to search, the police have no business looking through your personal items.    The United States Constitution mandates that all people shall be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. What type of governmental conduct is deemed unreasonable, and t... Read More

The cost of a competent DUI attorney will certainly vary, of course, by the reputation and experience of the lawyer and by the geographic location. As with doctors, generally, the more skilled the DUI attorney and the larger the city, the higher the fee as is the case of a Los Angeles DUI Attorney. A related factor is the amount of time a lawyer devotes to his cases: the better lawyers take fewer clients, spending more hours on each. Here are s... Read More

A new Federal program will seek to allow cops to draw a person's blood at the scene of arrest if NHTSA has its way. The federal program's aim is to determine if blood draws by police officers can be an effective tool against DUI and aid in their prosecution. If the results seem promising after a year or two, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will encourage all local state police nationwide to undergo similar blood draw training... Read More

California DUI law is complex and often confusing.   In California, persons arrested for a DUI will often see two separate charges contained within the ticket or booking sheet they are given after release.  As a Compton DUI Attorney, I am often consulted by folks unfamiliar with the fine points of California DUI laws.  Here is a brief explanation of the two counts.  The "a" count is act... Read More

For many years the prosecution in DUI blood test cases were able to admit the laboratory report showing the actual blood alcohol level at trial without actually calling the analyst that performed the test to testify.  Generally, the DA would merely have a supervisor testify about the analysis and the results.  That has now changed with a new case, People of the State of california vs. Virginia Lopez.  In that case the woman accused was charged with manlaughter involving alcohol an... Read More

As a Torrance DUI Lawyer I am very frequently consulted about the various forms of alcohol testing methadology.  In California you have a choice of breath, blood or urine (Urine is allowed only after you complete a breath test). If you choose breath, many jurisdictions permit you to have a second test of blood or urine; this is because a breath sample is not saved and so cannot later be re-... Read More