New York – Prosecutors in New York have decided to drop a criminal case against three men accused of conspiring to sell stolen legal pads with handwritten lyrics to songs by the Eagles. The case came to a halt after emails were revealed that raised doubts about the fairness of the trial.
The Manhattan assistant district attorney, Aaron Ginandes, informed the court that they no longer wished to pursue the prosecution. This decision followed testimony from the band’s co-founder, Don Henley, who claimed that the legal pads had been stolen from his home in Malibu.
The defendants in the case, rare-books collector Glenn Horowitz, memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski, and former Rock and Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi, had pleaded not guilty. The collapse of the case occurred after nearly two weeks of hearings.
During the trial, it was disclosed that the Eagles had hired writer Ed Sanders to create an official account of the band in the late 1970s. Despite the band’s dissatisfaction with the work, they provided Sanders with access to approximately 100 pages of lyrics. These lyrics later surfaced for sale online and at auction.
Prosecutors alleged that the three men were aware of the questionable origins of the pages and conspired to sell them anyway. However, Henley’s credibility as a witness was called into question, as he faced inquiries about his past and personal life.
The case unraveled after Henley agreed to the inclusion of communications with his legal team in court records. This revelation led defense lawyers to argue that substantial information had not been made available for cross-examination, ultimately leading to the dismissal of the case by Judge Curtis Farber.
Outside the courtroom, Horowitz’s attorney expressed relief at the decision to drop the case, stating that it should never have been brought to trial. The turn of events highlights the complexities and intricacies involved in legal proceedings, especially when high-profile individuals are involved.