In a highly publicized court hearing, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava was grilled about the ongoing delays in opening a new Mental Health facility that the county had promised to establish. Reporters from various news outlets were present, including Brittany Wallman of the Miami Herald who shared her first-hand account of what transpired during the hearing.
CBS News Miami’s Jim DeFede, an experienced investigative journalist, was also present and spoke with Brittany about the details of the hearing and the questions raised by the judge regarding the unopened Mental Health facility in Miami-Dade County. As host of CBS4 News’ Sunday morning public affairs program “Facing South Florida,” Jim provides in-depth coverage of regional issues and delves into the nuances of this complex story.
Brittany shares that during the hearing, Judge Jose Rodriguez questioned Mayor Levine Cava about why there has been a delay in opening the facility despite numerous promises made by previous administrations. The judge also expressed concern over whether there have been any attempts to address mental health issues in Miami-Dade County beyond just building a new facility.
Jim adds that while cameras were not permitted inside the courtroom, he heard from sources that Mayor Levine Cava provided detailed information about the challenges faced in opening such a complex facility and offered potential solutions for addressing mental health concerns in Miami-Dade County.