Stadium News - Sort of

Really not much here other than keeping you up to date on the going ons.

It's unusual for Miami-Dade County to comment on pending litigation, let alone issue a press release from the mayor's office.

Yet when it comes to car dealer Norman Braman's hot-button lawsuit aiming to derail the city-county's $3 billion megaplan, which includes a new Florida Marlins baseball stadium, the rules change. After Braman's legal team asked to delay the Sept. 8 trial date, the county pounced on an apparent contradiction: When he filed suit, Braman said he wanted a speedy trial.

''Mr. Braman's request to delay resolution of this case places a huge strain on government as we try to lay the groundwork for Miami-Dade County's future prosperity,'' Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez wrote. ``As far as I am concerned, justice delayed is justice denied.''

Alvarez spokeswoman Victoria Mallette noted that the county is not commenting on the lawsuit's substance -- only pointing out that county workers have exhaustively delivered 24,000 documents to the Braman team.

The problem with Braman's suit was always that it could delay the project.  Not being a law talking guy, I may not know all of the possible ramifications, but it doesn't look like he has a leg to stand on to me.

The Baseball Agreement is binding, meaning the Marlins and the city of Miami can proceed as usual.  Should Braman's suit eventually derail the county's part of the project, the county will be on the hook for reimbursing any expenses the Marlins and Miami incurred in the project.  And trust me, that is not the way they want to spend their funds.