Matthew J. Ruff, DUI Attorney
Toll Free (877) 213-4453
When you have been arrested within the state of California for any alcohol related driving charge Call DUI Attorney Matthew J. Ruff directly for a FREE personal Confidential Consultation and Review of Your Drunk Driving Arrest
Mistakes Made When Arrested for DUI:
Treating the DUI arrest like a regular traffic ticket. The offense is a crime, either a misdemeanor or felony and stays on your criminal record forever if you are convicted.
Deciding to represent yourself instead of hiring an Attorney. Do it yourself DUI representation is a huge mistake, the law is complex and has many pitfalls-always seek professional help just as you would if you were sick and needed medical help.
Hiring the cheapest Attorney in Town. Going to the "family friend" or "a guy I know" that promises to do the case on the cheap is by far the most dangerous thing you can do. Any experienced DWI lawyer needs to be paid for the time it takes to fight the charge-put simply if you hire a Cheap Attorney you will get what you pay for!
Not Fighting the DMV license suspension . If you need to drive you cannot ignore this step. Waiting until you go to Court will mean your license is gone. As of 2006, the Court no longer has anything to do with a person's driving privilege. The DMV APS order you were given at the time of your arrest or release (a pink piece of paper) is the thing that will determine whether you will be taking a bus to work or driving your own car!
Representing yourself at the DMV Hearing. Do you know what the "official duty presumption" is? Do you know what Evidence Code Section 1280 is? Do you know what Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations is? If your answer to any of these questions is NO then you should not be trying to handle the DMV hearing on your own. The Hearing Officer cannot and will not consider your "need" to drive or how sorry you are. They will suspend your license unless they are presented with a legal reason not to, this is where the Lawyer comes in!
Pleading Guilty or No Contest at the first Court appearance. Any Attorney who does not prepare a proper defense by investigating the case and seeking exculpatory evidence is not doing his or her job. Although there can be a good reason to plead guilty or nolo contendre at the arraignment date, most of the time it is a bad idea.
Not showing up for the Court Appearance on the DUI charge if you choose not to hire a Lawyer. Do you know what a warrant is? this speaks for itself.
Letting your friends or "jailhouse lawyers" give you advice. If you care about your future speak to only those who have the expertise. A Lawyer has been trained to render advice and understands the legal system
Thinking that the District Attorney is there to help you. The D.A. is there for one reason only, to get a conviction. If it means being nice and trying to be your friend so be it they are with the Government.
Not taking steps to prepare and preserve the evidence in the case. There is a common phrase in the legal community it is: If you are prepared to win, you will! hire a Attorney who truly believes in this way of thinking!
If you have questions and need answers call DUI Attorney Matthew Ruff , you will not be passed off to a paralegal or a legal assistant. The information and the call are completely free 1-877-213-4453
This DUI site was
designed to give you the legal information and resources to understand DUI charges
and potential DUI consequences.
When you are arrested for DUI you need to choose a qualified California criminal defense
lawyer quickly. A competent and skilled California defense Attorney will be able
to evaluate your situation and set an effective strategy to get you the best
result possible. DUI Attorney Matthew Ruff can answer your questions about
DUI law and the particular type of case you have been arrested for. The Lawyer has represented clients for all types of DUI cases including Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana We also practice within the jurisdiction where your case will be heard, this gives us the advantage in knowing the "lay of the land" which is crucial to navigating thru the justice system and ultimately obtaining the best outcome of the case.
DUI Information and resources to allow you to make the best decisions in your case | DMV Information about the administrative per se hearing process | Underage Drinking Laws | Redondo Beach DUI Lawyer serving the beach cities| Avoiding Mistakes in a DUI Case and understanding your options | DUI Law Newsletter | Drunk Driving Representation and California DUI Lawyer Homepage | Alcohol intoxication while under 21 and Underage Drinking Law | Blood Alcohol Chart | Publication of the Lawyers track record and Recent Case Results | Bakersfield DUI Attorney in Kern County | Grover Beach and San Luis Obispo Drunk Driving Defense Lawyers | Torrance DUI Lawyer aggressive defense in the South Bay | Site Map
You should be aware that advice on this informational site is general in nature and not designed for specific cases of DUI, DWI, drunk driving, driving while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of drugs, felony DUI, felony drunk driving, manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, or other related criminal or civil matter. Each case will involve very different facts, laws, procedures and penalties. It is important in every case that obtain legal advice and representation from a competent criminal defense lawyer who is experienced in drunk driving defense — that is, who is familiar with the laws and the facts(symptoms of intoxication, field sobriety tests, blood alcohol tests, possible penalties, possible defenses, prior convictions, driver's license suspension ramifications, etc.) unique to your DUI case.
You should also realize that the California DUI laws and legal procedures mentioned on this particular page, or any of the content within this web site will probably have changed as a result of new drunk driving laws, legal interpretations of those DUI laws, and/or new DMV license suspension rules, policies and procedures.