Officials closed the historic Miami-Dade County Courthouse at 73 W. Flagler St. in July after engineers identified structural safety concerns. County officials have taken all necessary precautions and ordered business from this location to be conducted remotely or moved to alternate locations until further notice.
The courthouse closure comes less than a month following the catastrophe at The Champlain Towers in Surfside. After the condominium collapse, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami-Dade Courts administrators asked engineers to perform safety assessments on older county buildings.
After inspecting the Miami-Dade County Courthouse, the engineer identified safety concerns with various floors of the courthouse building that will require extensive repairs. The updates are projected to be completed in February 2023 or later.
Before the condominium collapse and subsequent Miami-Dade building inspections, the County already had secured plans to build a new $267 million tower next door to the original courthouse. The new replacement building is not set to open until 2024.
Keeping Local Cases Moving Forward
On July 12, the courthouse reactivated the remote work plan it originally developed to conduct business virtually last year due to COVID-19 closures. People with scheduled in-person court proceedings will receive updated notices with instructions for remote access. The county may relocate some civil proceedings to other courthouse locations.
A major motivating factor for both parties in legal proceedings is to resolve cases before trial and mitigate expenses. However, many cases are ultimately decided in a courtroom with in-person jury trials, and this closure could cause concern about delayed resolutions.
Officials and legal teams across Miami-Dade County are working to lessen the effects of one less courthouse in the system and to keep proceedings moving. The closing of the Miami-Dade Courthouse continues to be a fluid situation. We will keep all of our clients informed about further developments as they are known.
At Panter, Panter & Sampedro it is our utmost responsibility to keep our clients informed of any situations in the state or county that may affect their cases. If you have any questions about your existing case or would like to talk to us about a new situation during a free consultation, please call us at (305) 662-6178.
Sources:
H. Stoikow (August 17, 2021). Vital Dade County Courthouse repairs won’t be done until 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.miamitodaynews.com/2021/08/17/vital-dade-county-courthouse-repairs-wont-be-done-until-2023/
The Florida Bar (July 11, 2021). Safety Concerns Close Dade County Courthouse for Repairs. Retrieved from: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/safety-concerns-close-dade-county-courthouse-for-repairs/
Ovalle (August 11, 2021). Timeline: Important milestones for the Miami Dade County Courthouse. Retrieved from: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article253042168.html
Ovalle (August 11, 2021). Requiem for a landmark? Dade courthouse’s future is uncertain but its past is glorious. Retrieved from: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/downtown-miami/article252837483.html
