Supreme Court denies request to hear appeal over Martins Beach

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KGO) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request to hear a lawsuit over access to Martins Beach.

Tech billionaire Vinod Khosla purchased 89 acres of land surrounding the beach in San Mateo County, and closed it to the public. A California appeals court forced Khosla to open the gate.

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The court said he violated state law by blocking public access without a permit.

Khosla wanted the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling on grounds that he doesn't need a permit for a gate on his own property.

An attorney for Khosla, Dori Yob Kilmer, has released the following statement: "We are disappointed the United States Supreme Court decided not to hear this important case. No business owner should be forced to obtain a permit from the government to shut down a private business, to change prices from those that existed in 1972 (as the state has demanded), or to change hours of operation. No owner of private business should be forced to obtain a permit from the government before deciding who it wants to invite onto its property. However, we will comply with the decision of the California Court of Appeal and apply for the required permit. If denied, we will start this process over again. Contrary to popular opinion, the case we filed in the US Supreme Court is not about access to the beach. Other courts already ruled that no public access rights exist on the property."