MIAMI -- The decision over whether the public should vote on building a new Marlins stadium has been put off until at least Monday.

The trial continued Friday in a lawsuit filed by auto dealer Norman Braman over the proposed Marlins ballpark. Braman argues that the stadium plan is unconstitutional because public money is being used to support the Marlins, a private business. He wants a referendum before tax dollars are used to build the stadium.

Marlins President David Sampson testified Thursday that he thinks there is public support for the $500 million stadium. Sampson said he had not seen a recent Bendixen & Associates poll saying that 57 percent of Miami-Dade voters think public money for a stadium is a bad investment.

The $3 billion project would include the stadium, a tunnel to the Port of Miami, a museum park in downtown Miami and other plans.

Judge Jeri Beth Cohen has already dismissed several claims by Braman already, but the major decision will boil down to whether the public should vote on whether to build the stadium.

The ballpark is scheduled to open on the site of the old Orange Bowl on Opening Day 2011, but Sampson said the lawsuit is hindering the plans.

"Things are getting delayed because there's so many lawyers spending their time on this instead of definitive documents, and that's a major issue for us, to say nothing of the taxpayer money that's being spent, of course, on a daily basis by having this baseless, useless trial," Samson said.

Braman said he would appeal if he loses the lawsuit.

"This has been a long experience for me personally and an expensive one," Braman said. "My whole issues have been, have revolved around, what I think is principle -- right or wrong."

Cohen could make a decision on the possible referendum on Monday.