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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 30 augusT 2022
Lawyers awarded $70M+ fees in deadly Florida condo collapse

By CURT ANDERSON suspected of contributing
Associated Press to structural damage of
Lawyers who secured a Champlain Towers South.
$1.1 billion settlement in the None of the parties admit
deadly collapse last year of any wrongdoing.
a beachfront Florida con- A billionaire developer from
dominium building were Dubai purchased the 1.8-
awarded more than $70 acre (1-hectare) beach-
million in fees Monday by a side site for $120 million,
judge. contributing to the settle-
The total was less than the ment. It's not clear yet what
approximately $100 million structure will rise on the site.
attorneys with the 17 law Hearings before Hanzman
firms had requested, but and a second judge on
there were no guarantees the wrongful-death claims
initially they would ever be have taken place over the
paid in the days after the past five weeks. Michael
Champlain Towers South Goldberg, the court-ap-
building fell June 24, 2021, pointed receiver oversee-
killing 98 people. ing the case, said checks
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge should be distributed to
Michael Hanzman said sur- those families who lost
viving family members and loved ones beginning in
people who only lost units A giant tarp, bottom, covers a section of rubble where search and rescue personnel have been mid-September. Those who
and property got far more working at the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Fla., on July 4, 2021. lost only property will re-
in compensation than is Associated Press ceive the full assessed val-
typical in such large class- ue for their units, with taxes
action cases — and this "It had so much potential to but also that their swift set- lapse. and other costs forgiven.
lawsuit was settled in only a go off the rails," the judge tlement meant a reduction "This is the most difficult One of the plaintiffs' lead
year's time. said. in the hours involved. thing that has happened lawyers, Harley Tropin, said
"That is a remarkable re- "If things had not turned out Some survivors also ques- to our family's lives," added the $100 million was the ab-
sult. It is unprecedented," well, they (attorneys) would tioned the higher amount Kevin Spiegel, whose wife solute ceiling for attorney
Hanzman said at a hear- have walked away with as too generous given the Judith died. "We will always fees and that the group
ing. "They are not getting nothing." scope of the tragedy, even carry this around." was satisfied with whatever
a meager recovery here. Still, the judge said the full as they acknowledged the The settlement money was awarded.
They are in essence being $100 million in legal fees re- extraordinary outcome. comes from 37 sources, "It was an honor to be cho-
made whole, which never quested was too much. He "No one should be profiting including insurance com- sen to try to get a result
happens in these cases." noted not only that lawyers from the death of 98 hu- panies, engineering firms on behalf of these victims.
Hanzman also remarked were not promised a dime mans," said Marin Langer- and a luxury condomini- There's no victory lap here,"
that the case "could have initially when they took the feld, who lost his sister and um building whose recent Tropin said. "The victims
been an absolute disaster." Champlain Towers case her husband in the col- construction next door is come first. We're good."q

Man suspected of killing 3 'terrorized' Detroit, chief says

Sunday. Lari Brisco was old man, was shot before ple times while waiting for a
planning to move this week dawn, less than two miles bus a short distance away.
to a suburb closer to her job from a police station. Dass said her clinic had
as a medical assistant at an "At 4:45 on a Sunday morn- planned to give Brisco
allergy clinic. ing, not a lot of people are a cake to celebrate her
"You never expect gun vio- up. Some people might move to a new home.
lence to hit close to home. have thought they were "My patients loved her be-
You always hear about hearing firecrackers," Dug- cause she treated them all
shootings, but it's never gan said. "I think there's a like they were her family,"
someone you know until it strong probability he ex- the doctor said.
is," said her boss, Dr. Kath- pected to get caught. ... A fourth shooting occurred
leen Dass. And then 35 minutes later at 7:10 a.m. while an
Police still were sorting out he shoots and kills a second 80-year-old man was walk-
details while a suspect who individual and proceeds ing his dog, said Michael
may have a mental illness from there." McGinnis, major crimes
Detroit Police and investigators look over a shooting scene on
Pennington Drive, north of Seven Mile Road, Sunday, Aug. 28, remained in custody. The The first incident occurred commander. He survived.
2022, in Detroit. man was peacefully arrest- at 4:45 a.m. The suspect A gun found by police
Associated Press ed at home after a 12-hour shot a man without provo- matched the bullet casings
search Sunday, following a cation, walked away and at the shooting scenes, Mc-
By ED WHITE and JOEY CAP- have been emboldened tip from someone close to then returned to fire more Ginnis said.
PELLETTI when he didn't encounter him. shots, White said. Bishop Daryl Harris of Total
Associated Press police after the first shoot- He "terrorized our commu- About 30 minutes later and Life Christian Ministries said
DETROIT (AP) — A 19-year- ing, the mayor said Mon- nity," Chief James White three blocks away, police he could "feel the panic" in
old man suspected of ran- day. said. got their first 911 call for a his congregation when he
domly killing three people The victims included a sin- Mayor Mike Duggan said woman in her 40s shot on informed people that an
on Detroit streets over gle mother of five children no one called 911 when a sidewalk. Brisco, 43, was active shooter was at large
roughly two hours may who was waiting for a bus the first victim, a 28-year- the third victim, shot multi- Sunday.q