Top Rated Catalina Island DUI Lawyer

If you are facing a drunk driving charge you need the best lawyer on your side.  Matthew has the experience of thousands of cases under his belt.  You need someone who knows how to challenge the breath test or blood results or defeat allegations of refusing to submit to a chemical test.  Matthew has fought and WON all types of driving under the influence charges including high BAC, prior convictions, under 21 Zero Tolerance, DWI with injuries, you name it and Matt has defended it!

Just recently Matt was hired to defend a young woman arrested on the island for VC23152 after she was found in a golf cart on Sumner Street in the city of Avalon.  The client was displaying objective signs of intoxication and was detained.  She refused to submit to a chemical test and was booked and spent the night in the jail.  Upon release, back in Long Beach, she reached out to Top DUI Attorney Matthew Ruff who took her case.  Matt went to Court for her, saving her precious time to travel back to Catalina.  Matt filed a motion to dismiss the case which was granted, all charges dropped in June 2022 by Judge Heeseman.

If you or a friend was detained and cited for drinking and driving while in a golf cart on the island you have rights.  These rights involve certain time deadlines in order to be preserved.  For example, the DMV will treat the arrest the same as though you were driving a car on the freeway.  In order to fight the suspension a hearing must be demanded immediately and Matthew can help.

In one recent case Matthew defended a client visiting from Colorado who was charged with DUI on Avalon.  She took a chemical test which was twice the legal limit and she was involved in a collision where a passenger was ejected from the golf cart.  Matthew fought the case with the California DMV and won.  Not every case will be dismissed, however we strive to obtain the best possible results.

In another recent case on the island Matt defended a client stopped near the Descanso Beach Club in a golf cart for nearly crashing into a LASD patrol car.  The Deputy observed bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and the client performed poorly on field sobriety tests.  A breath test later showed a .24 BAC, three times the legal limit in California.  Matt was able to get the .20 special allegation enhancement dismissed.  This saved the client from a mandatory 10 month DMV suspension and a 9 month alcohol DUI class.

What is a “enhancement“ in a drunk driving case?  An enhancement is a charge added to the existing charges that enhances the punishment if you are convicted.  For example, if you are charged with simple DWI but your BAC is higher that .20 the DA will add the extra enhancement that your blood alcohol level was greater than .20 percent.  This adds extra consequences such as the requirement of a 9 month alcohol class and 10 month suspension from the Department of Motor Vehicles in California.  Another type of sentence enhancement is a refusal allegation.  A refusal could add additional jail time and longer programs if you are convicted.

In a recent case, Matt defended a client charged with a refusal after he was arrested in downtown Avalon.  He was facing a mandatory one year suspension of his license.  Matt fought the case and was able to show the initial stop was unlawful and the DMV SET ASIDE the suspension and returned his license.