A judge will decide Tuesday whether the Broward state attorney's office can collect more than $30,200 in court costs following the felony conviction of former Hollywood Commissioner Keith Wasserstrom.

Florida law allows the state to charge convicted defendants for prosecuting costs, state attorney spokesman Ron Ishoy explained in an e-mail, adding, ``It is not an uncommon practice.''

Wasserstrom's attorney, Milton Hirsch, questions the state's plan. His 13-page response disputes some charges, like a $12,933.75 tab for ''expert witness fees'' and a $12,142.48 Xeroxing bill -- which would be more than 120,000 pages at 10 cents a page, according to Hirsch's calculations.

''Their request to tax the cost of those documents is properly characterized as -- to use an ancient term of art in the law -- chutzpah,'' Hirsch wrote of the photocopying charge.

A jury convicted Wasserstrom of official misconduct in September for his role in helping a sludge-processing firm win a city contract. He was later sentenced to 60 days in jail -- a judgment Hirsch said he intends to appeal.

Broward Circuit Judge Cynthia Imperato is slated to hear the court cost dispute.

-- BREANNE GILPATRICK

TOP CONTRACTORS PICKED FOR STADIUM

As two key dates approach in the Florida Marlins' bid to build a new ballpark in Little Havana, the team last week announced some progress -- selecting one of the top sports stadium construction groups in the country, along with a major local builder, for the $515 million facility.

Construction could begin late this year, with the team playing in the new park on Opening Day 2011.

But before a shovel hits the ground, the Marlins must clear two major hurdles: a pair of County Commission votes approving the deal's construction and management agreements -- and a court date with auto dealer Norman Braman, who hopes to derail the project.

With a July 1 court date set, Commission Chairman Bruno Barreiro said he'll schedule the commission votes later in July -- after the lawsuit winds through the courts.

Meanwhile, the team said it hired Hunt Construction Group and Moss and Associates to build the 37,000-seat stadium essentially on the footprint where the Orange Bowl once stood.

Hunt and members of Moss' executive team built Sunrise's BankAtlantic Center for the Florida Panthers. Hunt has built 16 baseball stadiums.

Moss is the second largest general contractor in Florida.

-- CHARLES RABIN

CASTRO, CHAVEZ POP UP IN PENSION TALKS

According to Miami City Commissioner Angel Gonzalez, City Hall's debate over how to handle employee pensions has been hijacked by ``leftists.''

Gonzalez's remarks came Thursday as commissioners discussed whether to allow some of the highest-paid city employees -- many of them department heads earning six-figure salaries -- to switch from 401(K)-type retirement plans to the city's more lucrative traditional pension system.

Commissioners Tomás Regalado and Marc Sarnoff blasted the idea, which could cost anywhere from $250,000 to $900,000 a year. Miami is expected to have to slash tens of millions of dollars in spending.

Commissioners ultimately postponed any decision until annual budget talks begin -- which left Gonzalez fuming.

''I hate to see the politics of the leftists that attack people that work for government,'' Gonzalez said. ``If we wouldn't work for government, we would be under a Castro regime, a Hugo Chávez regime, and let me tell you, they're not the best.''

-- MICHAEL VASQUEZ

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