((Marlin Stadium Naysayers Go To Court )) MIAMI (CBS4) ― After Miami-Dade County and City of Miami commissioners voted to approve a $515-million-dollar, retractable-roof stadium, lawyers for those opposed to it went to court on Friday.

 

Led by Miami attorney Harley Tropin, hired by car dealer Norman Braman, a lawsuit was filed seeking to block the project. Tropin went before Judge Pedro Echarte at Miami-Dade County court today calling the use of mostly tourist tax dollars to build the stadium a shell game. Braman is challenging the lack of public hearings during the development of the plan. This is another example of the type of contempt that our public officials have for the citizens who live here," said Braman.

 

Not everyone was happy with the decision as demonstrated last night when Commissioner Javier Souto was so angry over the push to approve the stadium plan that he took the plan in hand and ripped it in half.

 

"This is a disgrace to the democratic process, what we're doing here today," South said. "We're not consulting with the people."

 

Souto joined other commissioners who believe taxpayers should have been given the chance to vote on the plan which will be mostly funded with tourist-tax dollars.

 

City commissioners approved the Baseball Stadium Agreement by a 4-1 vote several hours earlier.

 

The 37,000-seat facility would be at the site of the Orange Bowl, which is to be demolished in the coming months. This is the closest the Marlins have been to fulfilling their stadium quest. It would open in time for the 2011 season.

 

But several issues remain unresolved. Among them is the thorny matter of deciding if city or county police and fire departments will be patrolling the new facility. An agreement on that issue must be struck within 30 days, or the plan would likely be doomed.

 

The Marlins were thrilled by the vote. "I think one of the longest running hopes for a baseball stadium in the history of the came has finally ended, successfully," said Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.

 

"The way I see it, we're not building a stadium for the Marlins," County Mayor Carlos Alvarez said before the city vote. "We are building a stadium for Miami-Dade County residents. We are going to own that stadium."

 

The city will direct $13 million toward the ballpark and transfer the land for the new stadium to the county. The city will also build a $94 million parking garage and spend another $10 million to demolish the Orange Bowl stadium in the city's Little Havana neighborhood.

 

Miami City Commissioner Tomas Regalado voted against the plan, not because he opposes a new stadium, but because he opposes the way the project came together.

 

"We got the plan hours before the vote," said Regalado. "It was rushed through the Miami City Commission and on to the county commission. Three-billion dollars in projects, and the people didn't even have a chance to speak on it."

 

In addition to the new stadium, the plan calls for a tunnel for the Port of Miami and a $200-million street car system.

 

(? MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

 

http://cbs4.com/local/city.county.carlos.2.660398.html

thanks MB :thumbup

the video on right say may is month that set by Judge Pedro Echarte at Miami-Dade County court that if he go on Norman Braman he force county and city to put in nov ballot for voter tt vote and kill Agreement done by city and county so we cannot have party yet!!!!!! BECAUSE OF EVIL Norman Braman

That son of a bitch needs to f*** off and take his sorry ass back to Philadelphia.

Does this guy have a death wish?

this is sad Norman Braman have won other lawsuit that fund were going use for orange bowl and robbie stadium

I'm not worried. The attorneys for both the City and the County seem to feel that Braman's argument has no legal basis. In addition to that, County Manager Burgess seemed to strongly feel that the taking down the of the Global Agreement would not affect the stadium.

 

And while Braman has some good lawyers, I am willing to bet that the City, County, Major League Baseball Inc., and Florida Marlins LP have better ones.

I'm not worried. The attorneys for both the City and the County seem to feel that Braman's argument has no legal basis. In addition to that, County Manager Burgess seemed to strongly feel that the taking down the of the Global Agreement would not affect the stadium.

 

And while Braman has some good lawyers, I am willing to bet that the City, County, Major League Baseball Inc., and Florida Marlins LP have better ones.

 

I agree. This guy is a nuisance, but I don't think he is a big threat to the stadium deal. I find it hard to believe that the city and county's lawyers would have allowed a deal to progress to this point if there were any legal issues that could derail the deal.

I hate how all the press on the deal has been negative. 13 City and County Commissioners vote Yes on it, and all the press goes to the 4 guys, 3 of which seemed wildly misinformed. All the press goes to Braman and how the deal may fall, not to the attorneys who insure the legality of this issue or the County Manager who insures that even if the Global Agreement fell, this deal would be safe.

I'm not worried. The attorneys for both the City and the County seem to feel that Braman's argument has no legal basis. In addition to that, County Manager Burgess seemed to strongly feel that the taking down the of the Global Agreement would not affect the stadium.

 

And while Braman has some good lawyers, I am willing to bet that the City, County, Major League Baseball Inc., and Florida Marlins LP have better ones.

 

I spoke at length with my buddy (who is very knowledgable on the situation -- my "source") and we both agreed that a portion of Braman's lawsuit (the one that accuses the City and County of violating the Sunshine Laws) really doesn't have much merit. The Marlins are being represented by Holland & Knight in the Braman law suit, if you're interested in knowing.

 

As for the other portions of the lawsuit, unless Braman has filed an amended complaint (which I have not seen), his originally filed complaint did not ask for the matter to be taken to a vote.

 

I also learned today that it was MLB, and not the Marlins, that wrote up the agreement between the three parties. The Marlins were basically sitting in the background and were called in to contribute "local issues."

I'm not a lawyer, I don't play one on TV and I havent stayed at a Holiday Inn Express but the legal issue that concerns me the most is the shell game with the CRA funds. If I understand correctly, he has yet to file a lawsuit about that.

I am not a lawyer (either) but the argument of a lack of public hearings seems weak additionally when you vote a person into office that is an expression of the publics will , and an elected official is charged with the power to make decisions for the public that voted him/her into office

i donot why media here in miami saying that marlins agreement have hit wall because Braman law suit.

i donot why media here in miami saying that marlins agreement have hit wall because Braman law suit.

Because the media down here LOVES to be negative as hell.

Braman getting too much air time and this report on ch7 say we could see more lawsuits