John McCurley

John McCurley

Attorney · University of San Francisco School of Law

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

Vermont Speeding Laws and Ticket Penalties
Vermont has two types of speeding laws: “absolute limits” and a “basic speeding law.” This article explains the differences between the two and the costs and other consequences of a speeding ticket.
New York Speeding Tickets and Penalties
Like most other states, New York has two types of speeding laws: absolute and basic speeding laws. This article explains the differences between the two and the consequences of each type of violation.
Virginia Speeding Laws and Ticket Penalties
Virginia has two types of speeding laws: “absolute limits” and a “basic speeding law.” This article explains the differences between the two and the consequences of a speeding ticket.
New Jersey Speeding Tickets and Fines
New Jersey has prima facie speed limits and a basic speed law that requires motorists to always drive at a safe speed. A speeding ticket will normally cost between $50 and $200.
Alaska's Speeding Laws and Ticket Penalties
Read about Alaska’s speeding laws and the consequences of getting a speeding ticket.
Montana’s Speeding Laws and Ticket Penalties
Montana has two types of speeding laws: “absolute limits” and a “basic speeding law.” This article explains the differences between the two and the consequences of a speeding violation.
Speeding Tickets and Penalties in Rhode Island
In addition to presumed speed limits, Rhode Island's "basic speed law" provides that no person shall drive at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing.
Speeding Tickets and Penalties in Delaware
Delaware’s general speed restriction (sometimes called a “basic speed rule”) prohibits motorists from driving faster than is “reasonable and prudent” based on current conditions. In other words, motorists must always drive a safe speed taking into consideration traffic, weather, visibility, and other potential hazards.
North Dakota Speeding Laws and Ticket Penalties
Like most other states, North Dakota has two types of speeding laws: “absolute speed limits” and a “basic speeding law.” This article explains the differences between the two and the consequences of each type of violation.
Nebraska’s Speeding Laws and Ticket Penalties
Nebraska has two types of speeding laws: “absolute limits” and a “basic speeding law.” This article explains the differences between the two and the consequences of a speeding ticket.