A Manhattan decide abruptly dismissed a legal case towards three males accused of stealing dozens of pages of handwritten lyrics to Eagles hits together with “Lodge California” after concluding that band member Don Henley “manipulated” prosecutors by withholding proof.
Three males — Glenn Horowitz, a uncommon guide seller; Craig Inciardi, a curator on the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame; and Edward Kosinski, a memorabilia auctioneer — had been all charged in 2022 with conspiracy over accusations that that they had illegally obtained over 100 pages of lyrics from Henley.
The defendants maintained that that they had legally obtained the lyric sheets from creator Ed Sanders, who was employed within the Seventies to jot down a guide in regards to the Eagles.
Throughout a listening to on Wednesday (by way of Billboard), Justice Curtis Farber revealed that Henley lately handed over greater than 6,000 pages of emails and different notes that lent credence to the protection’s claims that Sanders had legitimately come into possession of Henley’s lyrics. The supplies had been beforehand withheld underneath attorney-client privilege.
“It’s now clear that [Henley and longtime Eagles manger Irving Azoff] and their attorneys … used the privilege to obfuscate and conceal data that they believed could be damaging to their place that the lyric sheets had been stolen,” Justice Farber mentioned throughout Wednesday’s listening to.
“Albeit late, I commend the prosecution for refusing to permit itself or the courts to be additional manipulated for the good thing about anybody’s private acquire. District Lawyer Bragg and the prosecutorial crew right here, whereas consuming a slice of humble pie, are displaying the very best stage of integrity in shifting to dismiss the fees. I’m impressed.”
In an announcement to The Associated Press following the case’s dismissal, Henley’s lawyer Dan Petrocelli mentioned his consumer “has as soon as once more been victimized by this unjust consequence,” and added that Henley “will pursue all his rights within the civil courts.”
The Eagles are at the moment amidst their “Long Goodbye” farewell tour with Steely Dan.