The criminal trial involving a prominent rare books dealer accused of conspiring to obtain stolen handwritten lyrics from Eagles co-founder Don Henley came to an abrupt end on Wednesday. Charges in the case were dismissed by a judge in Manhattan.
Justice Curtis Farber of the State Supreme Court granted a dismissal request from the Manhattan district attorney's office, expressing significant concerns about the handling of evidence. The decision was influenced by the "jarringly late" disclosure of 6,000 pages of material by Mr. Henley's legal team.
During the examination of the material, it became evident that Mr. Henley, along with his agent and two legal representatives, had taken actions to "obfuscate and conceal information they deemed detrimental to their stance that the lyric sheets were stolen."
Criticizing the district attorney's office, the judge stated that prosecutors had been manipulated by Mr. Henley's legal team and lacked a complete understanding of the case.
However, he emphasized that their actions were ultimately motivated by the pursuit of justice.
"While eating a slice of humble pie," Justice Farber said, the prosecutors were also "displaying the highest level of integrity in moving to dismiss the charges."
Despite the ongoing trial, the dismissal, coming just two weeks into a trial that had seen extensive testimony from Mr. Henley, represented a major setback for the district attorney's office, which had been investigating the case for several years.
It offered a form of vindication, but not a formal exoneration, for the book dealer Glenn Horowitz and the two co-defendants in the trial.
The case centered on some 100 pages of draft lyrics for hit songs by the Eagles including "Hotel California," "New Kid in Town," and "Life in the Fast Lane," reported The New York Times.
According to prosecutors, notes taken decades ago by an author who signed a late 1970s contract to write an unpublished book about the Eagles were stolen. Ed Sanders, the author, has not been charged. In 2005, Sanders sold the documents to Mr. Horowitz, who then sold them to the two other defendants. The district attorney's office began investigating following complaints by Mr. Henley.
The trial shifted direction when Mr. Henley's legal team provided a significant amount of evidence to defense attorneys and prosecutors last weekend.
This included email exchanges involving Mr. Henley, his agent, various lawyers representing him, and a private investigator.
During their testimonies, Mr. Henley, his agent, and two lawyers cited attorney-client privilege but waived it when a third lawyer testified, resulting in the release of emails that included messages from Mr. Henley and others who had completed their testimonies.
Outraged defense lawyers criticized the belated sharing of the material, informing Justice Farber on Monday that they should have been permitted to use the email messages during the cross-examination of Mr. Henley and other witnesses. They highlighted that certain statements in the emails contradicted the testimony delivered in court.
"There is a manifest injustice here that taints the entire trial," Jonathan Bach, a lawyer for Mr. Horowitz, told the judge.
"Looking Forward To Continuing With His Important Work"
Prosecutor Aaron Ginandes disagreed on Monday, but by Wednesday morning, he had changed his tune, telling Justice Farber that the delayed disclosure had "revealed relevant information that the defense should have had the opportunity to explore."
Mr. Bach expressed satisfaction regarding the dismissal, stating, "We're glad the district attorney's office finally made the right decision and dropped this case. It should never have been brought."
He also shared that Mr. Horowitz is "looking forward to continuing with his important work."
