The immediate need for a new Miami-Dade civil courthouse—to handle the county’s overcrowded docket of civil cases—is beyond dispute. As a bar association comprised of attorneys and judges who regularly litigate in the civil courthouse on 73 W. Flagler St., the Cuban American Bar Association submits that the building—originally constructed in 1928—is woefully inadequate to handle the county’s civil litigation workload. The building is in disrepair.  There are not enough courtrooms. Meanwhile, most of the existing courtrooms are completely unsuited for trials, because they are too small, because of their impractical layout and because they lack in even basic technological capabilities. This is just a short list of the problems with our courthouse.

Our county’s residents and its businesses deserve—and more importantly, need—a new, more expansive courthouse. This is a thriving, growing metropolitan area with a massive economy that is a world-wide hub for international commerce. As a consequence of our county’s economic growth, our county courts oversee a civil caseload that continues to expand and includes significant disputes. The current courthouse facility simply cannot meet our county’s growing legal needs. Unfortunately, the nearly-century old courthouse building has exceeded its lifespan.