Regardless if you figured it out or not, those who came here from Google would probably like an explanation.
Yes, you can turn it off. From the home screen, press Menu -> Settings, then from there go down to Location and Security, then change Screen Lock. Then opt for none.
Good call but the part I was getting confused on was when you select change lock setting, the lock pattern pops up. You have to enter your password pattern to access the setting to turn it off. I thought it was only allowing me to change it. It was 5 am pre-coffee so my brain haddnt fully woken up yet.