Photo: Don Henley | Story by Roisin O’Connor, The Independent | An unusual criminal case over allegedly stolen handwritten lyrics for the Eagles’ classic rock album Hotel California has been abruptly dropped mid-trial. Three men had been accused of conspiring to possess a cache of lyrics, written on around 100 legal-pad pages, to the American band’s hit song “Hotel California”, among others.
Assistant Manhattan district attorney Aaron Ginandes informed the judge at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 6th, that prosecutors would no longer proceed with the case, citing newly available emails that defense lawyers said raised questions about the trial’s fairness.
The raft of communications emerged only when Eagles star Don Henley apparently decided last week to waive attorney-client privilege, after he and other prosecution witnesses had already testified.
The defense argued that the new disclosures raised questions that it hadn’t been able to ask.
“Witnesses and their lawyers” used attorney-client privilege “to obfuscate and hide information that they believed would be damaging,” judge Curtis Farber said in dismissing the case.
The accused were three well-established figures: rare books dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock and Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi, and rock memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski.
> > > > > > > > >
Read more on the dismissal of this case here:
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/hotel-california-trial-dropped-reason-eagles-b2508032.html
Photo: Don Henley
March 7, 2024| Colorado Music-Related Business| Barb Dye