Long Beach Criminal Defense Attorney

Are you Looking for an experienced and effective Long Beach Criminal Defense Attorney? For a DUI, drunk in public, drug possession, theft charge, prostitution, no matter what the charge our Law Firm effectively represents people facing criminal charges in the Long Beach Criminal Court located at 415 W. Ocean Blvd. in the city of Long Beach California. The Court is referred to as the "South District Court" and is part of the Los Angeles County Superior Court system. The courthouse also serves the cities of Signal Hill, Lakewood, San Pedro, Harbor City, Wilmington, and Avalon on the island of Catalina. We handle all serious felony matters in the Long Beach Court.

Most persons arrested for a criminal offense within the jurisdiction are taken and booked at the Long Beach Police Department with two notable exceptions: if the arrest took place in San Pedro or anywhere within the city of Los Angeles the individual will be processed at the LAPD station, usually Harbor division or 77th Street; if the offense occurred in Signal Hill then the booking will take place at that police jail. A very common question asked is how long will the person be held before they go to Court? The answer to this depends upon the type of offense and furthermore whether a Long Beach Criminal Defense Lawyer in engaged in a timely manner. For most minor criminal violations such as DUI, public intoxication, driving on a suspended license, minor drug possession such as marijuana and other misdemeanors, the arrested person will typically be cited and released on a promise to appear on some later date (usually 2 to 3 weeks away). However, if the criminal charges are for a felony such as robbery, burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, spousal abuse, etc. then bail will ordinarily be set and if no bail is posted they are taken to Court within 48 hours unless the arrest coincides with a weekend or holiday.

The first Court appearance is known as an arraignment and it is at this time a plea is entered to the charges filed. The Long Beach Court has a tripartite system of prosecution, meaning that three different prosecutorial agencies are involved in representing the government or the "People of the State of California". The first and foremost is the Los Angeles District Attorneys office, they file and prosecute all felony charges that originate within the South District, along with some misdemeanors in County areas. Next, is the Long Beach City Prosecutor, they are charged with prosecuting all misdemeanor criminal offenses which occur inside its city limits. Lastly, the Los Angeles City Prosecutor pursues all misdemeanors where the arrest takes place in San Pedro and the city of Los Angeles (usually along the 110 freeway and harbor areas).

As with any serious legal matter, a person facing criminal allegations is well advised to seek the help and assistance of an experienced criminal defense lawyer who is familiar with the local Court. Long Beach Criminal Attorney Matthew Ruff has represented hundreds of clients in the Long Beach criminal Court over the last decade. Because of his close proximity to Long Beach he has the ability to immediately help those who are in jail or have a fast approaching court date. In many cases, he can appear on behalf of his clients thus sparing them the hassle, humiliation and inconvenience in traveling and appearing before the Judge and District Attorney. With nearly fifteen years of criminal defense experience under his belt you can be assured that he will obtain the best outcome to a very embarrassing situation for most people.

Whether your particular case be a felony such as robbery, burglary, grand theft, ADW, domestic violence, sales of drugs, amongst many others or, a misdemeanor DUI, drunk driving, shoplifting in a mall, petty theft, hit and run, public intoxication, marijuana possession or a bench warrant or probation violation in the Long Beach Court, Matthew Ruff can aggressively represent your interests, resolve or defend the case if necessary. Moreover, because he is a local Long Beach Criminal Lawyer, the Judges will typically permit him to "stand in" for his clients thereby sparing them from a embarrassing court appearance.

Contact the local Long Beach Criminal Attorney toll free at 1-877-213-4453

An example of a recent success is a case where the Long Beach District Attorney filed felony charges against our client, a 46 year old delivery driver, alleging that he attacked his live in girlfriend with a knife following a verbal dispute inside a Wilmington apartment. The complaining witness called the LAPD and they observed bloody slash marks on her arm, she later accused the client of pimping and pandering in addition to the assault with a deadly weapon. The client was arrested and had tried to have the case resolved with the public defender in Long Beach Court, however the DA wanted 3 years in state prison. Mr. Ruff was retained and immediately commenced a well planned investigation and defense of the case, within sixty days he had convinced the prosecutor that the charges were contrived and the case was conditionally dismissed in March of 2009.

In another case Long Beach Criminal Defense Attorney Matthew Ruff represented a client charged with possession of marijuana for sale and transportation of marijuana with intent to distribute marijuana. The lawyer was faced with the challenge of refuting evidence which included photos from police showing his client carrying several pounds of narcotics from his home and transporting it in his car. In addition, his client had a prior for cultivation of marijuana and other crimes. Despite this daunting evidence of guilt, Mr. Ruff convinced the District Attorney in Long Beach to drop all drug related charges and allow his client to plead to an offense which did not include any jail time and would allow him to have a misdemeanor on his record.

Another recent notable case involved a member of the armed forces charged with assault and battery on a waitress. The client was eating at a restaurant in downtown Long Beach with his friends and got involved in an argument that turned into a shoving match. One of the employees alleged she was struck and threatened along with a patron who alleged she was sexually assaulted by the client. As a member of the military the client knew he needed a local Long Beach Criminal Lawyer to help save his military career and keep him out of jail. Mr. Ruff initiated an investigation and obtained exculpatory evidence which resulted in the original criminal charges being dropped. In another case he was hired by a student charged with resisting arrest by the Long Beach Police Department outside the same bar, these charges were dropped once Matthew got into Court and spoke to the city attorney.

Defending those charged with drug possession on cruise ships is also something Mr. Ruff has much experience in doing, including arrests at the San Pedro terminal and the Long Beach cruise terminal. A prime example of a case is that of a recent disposition he obtained for a client who lived outside the area. The accused was charged with possession of ecstacy pills that were found as the client was disembarking from a cruise to Mexico. The drugs were located in her luggage and she was booked and spent the night in jail before bailing out. A Court date was given and she hired Matthew who went to Long Beach Court with her on October 22, 2009. The attorney was able to get the case dismissed (no jail and no scar on her permanent record) upon the completion of drug education classes in spite of the fact she had a prior conviction for drug use.

Similarly, Mr. Ruff has been able to obtain complete dismissals of hit and run charges for his clients in Department 7. These dismissals are some of approximately over 400 dismissals he has obtained as a criminal defense lawyer in Long Beach and throughout Los Angeles County.

In a recent case Matthew was hired by a client's family over the phone after their son was arrested in his Long Beach area home following a raid by federal officials and search of his home for child pornography. The agents seized his computers and other electronics. Mr. Ruff met with the assistant U.S. Attorney and negotiated a dismissal of all charges and return of his computers even though the agents found illegal images of child pornography on his hard drive.

Along with those types of criminal cases, Matthew has handled many alcohol related offenses in the downtown Long Beach areas of Pine, the Pike, second street and Belmont shores areas of the city. His clients have been arrested for public intoxication (drunk in public) by the local police department. The attorney has obtained dismissals of charges for minors in possession of alcohol and drugs such as marijuana. Mr. Ruff can go to Court on behalf of the client and, in most cases, resolve the criminal allegations without any appearance from the defendant himself. This is particularly helpful when the accused is looking at possible probation violations on top of the current case.

Contact an experienced Los Angeles County Criminal Defense Attorney directly at 310-527-4100 to have an honest, no obligation straight talk assessment of your particular predicament. Taking quick action in speaking with a legal professional may make all the difference in your case. Indecision and procrastination can be your biggest enemy when facing prison time or a lifetime scar on your record. Our Long Beach criminal attorney is skilled in defending any and all criminal charges.

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