I'm happy to pay for someone to get bolt cutters and put them somewhere nearby for the public to use when needed.
"Break glass in case of affluenza"
Because I think a lot of judiciaries are just like companies in the sense of not wanting to draw unwanted attention, risk high costs or worse – having to deal with awkward situations at posh drinking events — think I got that last part from a movie.
The scarier thing to consider is what does it cost not to hold this person in contempt of court? Much of society is built on the justice system being able to do its job and much of that ability is built on court orders being respected. What happens when some rich person sets a precedent of disobeying court orders without consequence?
Am I misinterpreting the situation? Regardless, the ethics of the thing are clear, to me. This is theft of a public resource. And, I would hope the courts would continue to agree; a billionaire can buy a lot of do-overs in the US legal system, but hopefully, he can't buy the result he wants.
You make one hell of a rant, man. Props.
People can't walk on the ocean. And while, yes, beaches connect to the ocean which then connects to other beaches, beaches may not connect directly to other beaches, and even if they do, the other beaches may not be accessible due to geography irrespective of legality.
The thing I don't understand is why police don't simply cut the lock every time Khosla locks the damned thing. It's gone to court, he lost (as he should have), and now he continues to blatantly violate the law. Petty criminals have been shot and killed (thousands of times) over less blatant disregard of a legal order, but a rich guy can get away with a massive theft of a public resource for years without any consequences. Money may not buy happiness, but it certainly buys the right to be a truly awful human being without consequence.
Why can't a citizen simply call the police every time a gate is closed and locked? Send Khosla the bill for a locksmith or whatever it takes to restore access. Cities do it for overgrown lawns (which is harmless, IMHO), and this is causing actual harm to the public good.