Prosecutors drop charges midtrial against 3 accused of possessing stolen 'Hotel California' lyrics

Source: Associated Press

Prosecutors drop charges midtrial against 3 accused of possessing stolen ‘Hotel California’ lyrics

BY JENNIFER PELTZ
Updated 11:26 AM EST, March 6, 2024

NEW YORK (AP) — New York prosecutors abruptly dropped their criminal case midtrial Wednesday against three men who had been accused of conspiring to possess a cache of hand-drafted lyrics to “Hotel California” and other Eagles hits.

Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Aaron Ginandes informed the judge at 10 a.m. 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 trial had been underway since late February.

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.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-trial-eagles-e54331f073373ecdc801349c39cda889