Florida Judges Move Chambers Over Mold Concerns

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC

By Martha Neil

Concerning that a 52-year-old Florida jurist’s death from lung cancer last month may have been linked to courthouse mold, three of Judge Cheryl Aleman’s colleagues on the ninth floor have moved their chambers out of the Broward County Courthouse and are seeking environmental testing.

“There were issues with a serious illness with one or more judges in the area,” Judge Patti Englander Henning tells the Miami Herald. “Prudence suggested that we request to be moved until they can test and determine what the problem is and how it can be remedied. And obviously, it was a valid enough claim that they were good enough to move us.”

An article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel says judges are also concerned about a possible asbestos issue in the courthouse.

Court employees have previously filed a series of lawsuits over alleged courthouse mold, and the issue has also arisen concerning other courthouses in Florida.

•John P. Lapotaire, CIEC•Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant•Microshield Environmental Services, LLC• www.Microshield-ES.com