Stadium News - Sort of

by craig on Sep 23, 2008 8:18 AM EDT in News and Rumors

Judge Cohen, once again, sided with Team Braman.

File this under: Nothing is ever simple when it comes to the ballpark.

Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Jeri Beth Cohen was all ready to slam the door on auto dealer Norman Braman’s case this afternoon, but we’ll have to wait until Oct. 2 for her final ruling.

That’s because the re-hearing period for the Florida Supreme Court ruling issued last week (the one Cohen was waiting for before deciding in Braman’s case if a referendum is needed on a portion of the financing for the $3 billion in Miami projects) doesn’t expire until then. Braman’s attorney Bob Martinez convinced Cohen to wait, saying he wants time to study the ruling and protect his client’s interest.

But that wasn’t before Marlins attorney Sandy Bohrer raised a fuss about any more delays.

“The time for the final ruling has come,” Bohrer told the court. “It’s over. The Supreme Court has ruled.”

But Cohen wasn’t having any of Bohrer’s arguments. She clearly wants to follow the Supreme Court, which after a re-hearing reversed its own opinion from a year ago and said referendums are not required to issue bonds for large public projects.

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After the hearing, Martinez said since the Supreme Court opinion isn’t final until the re-hearing period has expired, he wants time to review it.

“The fact of the matter is we are going to be appealing,” Martinez said. “The fact that the defendants think we’re going to lose, they’ve articulated that. They’ve said as recently as two weeks ago, they’re going to move forward. Let them move forward. They have to deal with the reality we’re going to appeal.”

And the delays just keep coming. Have I mention that there is no way on this planet that either Braman, Martinez or Cohen will make my this year's Christmas card list. I'm sure they are devastated.

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Braman

It has come to my attention that Mr. Braman has 1.7 billions dollars. Yes. He also has one of the largest yachts in the world. I would also like to point out that there is less than adequate public transportation in this city. Not only that, it is a well established fact that Braman consistently votes against public transportation and development which does not help his own pocket. He is a man looking only after his own money, even though he already has an absurd amount and will die soon.
I saw him on the UM campus the other day with Shalala. they sat down right next to me. I didnt realize it was Braman until she introduced him to someone else. I had to get up and leave at that point. I wanted to talk to him, but I didnt for fear that he would keel over and die. He is old. He needs to face up to the facts that he is wrong, and that he is not the only person to ever have thought of purchasing a sports franchise to flip it as a business maneuver. He is an old, ornery old man, and asshole. Good evening.

by GMFB on Sep 23, 2008 7:25 PM EDT reply actions