Keep in mind that over 200 people, many of them elderly immigrants not well-versed in their rights, were thrown out of their homes, and the passion of L.A. County Superior Court Judge John Torribio in his tentative 9A opinion is not surprising. The draft is dated from May, and it was finalized on Friday, July 18.

In response to the LAUSD's arguments that they did do adequate prep work before they started seizing houses, Judge T mixed a metaphor or two, but his disgust for the LAUSD's conduct is clear.

Los Angeles Unified School District is ordered to fully comply with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act by preparing an EIR [environmental impact review] for the Central Region Elementary School #14 project [aka Site 9A]. ... LAUSD is restrained from any actions in furtherance of the project unless an EIR has been properly prepared, publicly circulated, and approved.

Some snippets:

The court finds that purchasing the property [Site 9A] ... was made at the District's peril. ... That shoal has risen and the District ship has hit it.

The court will not address the sham EIR [that the LAUSD prepared after already having thrown people out of their homes]. ... The court's conclusion is based on an examination of the EIR to see what if any analysis was actually done. ... The record [of the prep work LAUSD did before it went High Noon on Echo Park] is essentially empty of analysis.

The purposes of the [9A] project are muddled to say the least.... The court finds that the EIR is inadequate and that the District acted in bad faith....