The skillfulness of Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman P.L., specifically that of Edward Guedes, John Quick, and Charles Garabedian, was on display in the Third District Court of Appeal in its representation of the City of Miami Gardens. The court ruled in favor of the city upholding the application to annex a commercial industrial area.
In June 2019, the City of Miami Gardens applied for a boundary change with the Miami-Dade Clerk of the Board. An advertised public hearing took place, and the proposed boundary change was approved. The annexation remains unfinalized, however, the appellants claimed the annexation would cause irreparable harm to them.
The city and county said there were still many steps to go before the county commission’s final consideration of the decision and since the annexation was not finalized, it could not cause irreparable harm.
Firm partner, Edward Guedes, said “The Third District Court of Appeal correctly understood that our system of government, as encompassed by the separation-of-powers doctrine, doesn’t allow the judicial branch to interfere with ongoing political or legislative processes such as the county’s evaluation of Miami Gardens’ annexation request.”
Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman P.L. partner John Quick followed up stating “rather than side with the plaintiffs, which would have effectively thwarted the voice of the people and our elected officials, the courts stood aside — as they should at this stage — and allowed the legislative process to proceed.”
The appellate panel agreed with Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Valerie Manno Schurr, who found the appellants lacked jurisdiction.
