MIAMI — Since the deadly Surfside condo collapse more than seven months ago, any clues hidden in the debris that would shed light on what went wrong at Champlain Towers South have been kept under the sole watch of federal investigators. But that is likely about to change.
Experts representing Champlain South collapse victims, defendants, and other parties have been fighting to gain access to a warehouse containing the evidence — a fight that spilled into public view last week when an attorney for Miami-Dade County revealed at a court hearing that it would cede control to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is leading the federal probe. That decision came despite a subpoena from Judge Michael Hanzman allowing parties in the lawsuit access.
Shortly after the contentious court hearing last Friday, Michael Goldberg, the attorney appointed by the court to make decisions for the Champlain South condo association, set up a meeting with county officials and NIST. Goldberg told Judge Hanzman on Friday that the parties were working on a “joint protocol.”
