A California judge has dismissed a high-profile case alleging sexual abuse against Michael Goguen, a prominent venture capitalist and philanthropist whose local contributions include The Whitefish Trail and the Two Bear Air search and rescue program.
In a lengthy Sept. 12 order terminating the case, retired Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Read Ambler, who is serving as discovery referee in the case, wrote that the plaintiff, Amber Laurel Baptiste, failed to undergo medical examinations and produce other documents necessary in the discovery process, leading to the case’s termination.
“While Baptiste is free to believe what she wants to believe, the orders are binding on Baptiste, and her failure to comply with the orders is unacceptable,” Ambler wrote. “The referee had given Baptiste numerous opportunities, despite her failures to comply with the orders, to rectify her failures to provide discovery or to establish her inability to proceed with the litigation. Unfortunately, Baptiste has done neither, and the record presented does not support a conclusion that Baptiste will do so in the future.”