CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / SAN FRANCISCO

California’s highest court is allowing the state to tell sunbathers they can be punished for enjoying public beaches in the buff -- even in areas informally designated as “clothing optional.”

The California Supreme Court on Thursday denied review of a 2008 lower court ruling upholding the right to cite nude beachgoers in Orange County. Officials began to crack down on nudity last year at San Onofre State Beach -- where naked sunbathing has gone on for about 20 years -- citing complaints about lewd behavior. A group of naturists successfully sued, citing 1979 guidelines for nudity at state beaches. But an appeals court reversed the decision, saying those guidelines weren’t adopted with public feedback.