by The Associated Press
A billionaire technology mogul at the center of a lawsuit over public access to a Northern California beach is set to testify in the case.
Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla is scheduled to appear in a San Mateo County courtroom on Monday afternoon.
Khosla is accused of closing the only road that leads to Martin's Beach in violation of the California Coastal Act. The beach is about 35 miles south of San Francisco.
Khosla purchased the adjacent property in 2008.
Under state law, the entire coast is public property, including beaches below the mean high tide. Without the road access, however, Martin's Beach can only be reached from the ocean.
Khosla's attorney, Jeffrey Essner, says the public was previously allowed to access the beach for a fee, so there was never a right of public access.