Tag Archives: Top DUI Attorney Matthew Ruff wins DMV hearing

Case Study: How Top-Tier DUI Defense Attorney Matthew Ruff Overcame a DMV Refusal Allegation to Restore a Client’s Driver’s License

Posted on September 28, 2026 by thetorranceattorney

Winning a DUI refusal hearing at the California DMV is one of the hardest challenges in administrative law. Under California Vehicle Code § 13353, an alleged refusal to take a chemical test carries a mandatory 1- to 3-year license suspension with zero option for a restricted license. 
When an Imperial County driver was facing an automatic license suspension following a border contact, top-tier DUI defense attorney Matthew Ruff stepped in. By auditing the state’s evidence, Mr. Ruff exposed a critical flaw: the DMV failed to produce the foundational law enforcement report justifying the initial stop. Under California’s Harvey-Madden rule, an unproven stop renders the entire arrest and subsequent chemical test refusal legally invalid. Continue reading →

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How a California DUI Attorney Exposed a Blank Timeline and Won an “Impossible” .20% Case

Posted on May 26, 2026 by thetorranceattorney

Imagine receiving a call from the DMV about a suspension of your client’s license after police discovered them passed out in a car with a 0.20% BAC. At first glance, it seems like a straightforward case for the state. However, as California DUI defense attorney Matthew Ruff recently demonstrated, even the most extreme chemical test results don’t hold water if the police don’t establish the most basic foundation required by law: the time of driving. In a recent DUI Administrative Per Se (APS) hearing, attorney Matthew Ruff successfully exposed glaring evidentiary gaps in a Torrance Police Department investigation, forcing the DMV to issue a complete Order of Set Aside and fully reinstate the licensee’s driving privileges. Ruff dismantled this Continue reading →

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Matthew Ruff Defeats DUI “Refusal” Suspension by Challenging Unsanitary Hospital Conditions

Posted on April 28, 2026 by thetorranceattorney

Matthew Ruff, a leading DUI attorney in Torrance, achieved a monumental victory for his client in a high-stakes DMV Administrative Hearing. Through a meticulous legal challenge, Matthew successfully argued that the client’s decision to refuse a blood draw under unsanitary conditions was a legally protected objection, rather than a mere refusal. This victory, secured by leveraging the landmark California case Ross v. DMV, demonstrates the importance of ensuring driver safety and the right to assurances during traffic stops. The DMV Hearing Officer was presented with compelling evidence that the arresting deputies failed to meet their statutory obligations, including providing factual basis for breath test availability and substantiating the claim of recanted consent. As a result, the DMV issued an official Order of Set Aside, vacating the one-year Continue reading →

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