Goleta Attorney Disbarred After Third DUI

The State Bar Court of California disbarred 73-year-old Goleta attorney John Darwin McCurdy on November 3 following his third DUI offense.

McCurdy’s most recent arrest occurred on June 2, 2015, when he was pulled over for speeding on southbound Highway 101. He failed a field sobriety test and his blood-alcohol content measured 0.198, more than twice the legal limit. During a search of his car, officers discovered a water bottle full of alcohol and two loaded handguns. McCurdy pleaded no contest to driving with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher and carrying a concealed and loaded firearm in a vehicle. His eventual disbarment followed a lengthy investigation and disciplinary process carried out by the the State Bar Court, which noted his two previous DUI convictions.

In 1994 McCurdy was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and causing bodily injury for an incident that resulted in the death of one victim and injury to four family members. He was sentenced to six years in state prison and his bar license was suspended for two years. “[McCurdy]’s conduct was mitigated by the facts that his insurance had paid the victims $1.35 million, that he was receiving psychotherapy, and that he was participating in [Alcoholics Anonymous],” Bar Court records state. McCurdy’s first DUI conviction occurred in 1985.

In its final ruling, the Bar Court stated: “The pattern of [McCurdy]’s alcohol-related criminal misconduct reflects a disregard for public safety, which is indicative of moral turpitude.”

McCurdy attended law school at UC Berkeley. His law firm is located at 65 Hollister Ranch Road in Goleta.