John McCurley started writing criminal law articles for Nolo as a freelancer in 2015. He joined the Nolo staff as a Legal Editor in 2016.
Education. John has a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from the University of California, San Diego, and completed law school at the University of San Francisco School of Law in 2008.
Legal training. During law school, John became interested in the criminal justice system while interning with the Prison Law Office and the San Francisco and Contra Costa County public defender’s offices. After graduating and passing the California Bar in 2008, John practiced criminal defense and juvenile dependency law, primarily doing writs and appeals.
Legal career. John is currently a member of the California State Bar and has been a certified appellate law specialist since 2017 (certification from by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization). John maintains a small private practice in San Diego (see www.mccurleylaw.com), handling mostly court-appointed juvenile dependency appeals out of various Southern California counties. He has a number published victories, including In re Juarez (2010) 182 Cal.App.4th 1316, K.F. v. Superior Court (2014) 224 Cal.App.4th 1369, People v. Hill (2015) 236 Cal.App.4th 1100 (co-counsel), and In re Bianca S. (2015) 241 Cal.App.4th 1272.
Articles By John McCurley
New Mexico’s distracted driving laws prohibit all motorists from text messaging while operating a vehicle. And for commercial drivers, texting and talking on a phone while driving is against the law.
Mississippi’s distracted driving law prohibits all motorists from text messaging while operating a vehicle. Read the specifics of what the law prohibits, the exceptions, and the penalties for a texting ticket.
Iowa’s distracted driving law generally bans all text and electronic messaging while driving. But for most drivers, there aren’t any restrictions on talking on the phone while driving. Read about the specifics, including the costs of a texting ticket.
Kansas’s distracted driving laws prohibit text messaging for all drivers and talking on a cellphone for only certain drivers. Read about the laws' specifics and the penalties you'll face for a cellphone or texting ticket.
South Carolina’s distracted driving law makes it illegal to text message while driving. However, the state has no restrictions on using a cellphone for calls while operating a vehicle.
Louisiana has several different distracted driving laws. There’s some overlap, but generally, the laws prohibit texting and interacting with social media for all drivers, and prohibit talking on a cellphone for certain drivers and in certain locations for all drivers.
Alabama’s distracted driving laws prohibit text messaging for all drivers and talking on a cellphone for only certain drivers. Learn about the law's specifics, including the penalties for a texting or cellphone ticket.
Illinois has two statutes that cover distracted driving. The first statute bans talking on a cellphone entirely for underage drivers (underage age 19) and in certain places for all drivers. The second statute bans all motorists from using an “electronic communication device” while driving. Learn about the specifics of these laws and the penalties you'll face for a conviction.
New York’s distracted driving laws generally prohibit all drivers from text messaging and talking on a handheld phone while driving. Read about the specifics of what the laws restrict and the penalties you'll face for a texting or cellphone ticket.
Hawaii’s distracted driving laws prohibit all motorists from using a handheld mobile electronic device while driving. And for certain drivers, even hands-free device use is prohibited. Read more about the laws' specifics, including the penalties for a cellphone to texting ticket.
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