Don Henley has achieved a significant legal win in a lawsuit related to the Eagles’ iconic song. Rolling Stone reports on the outcome.
Judge Kathleen Waterman-Marshall granted a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by rare books dealer Glenn Horowitz. The judge’s ruling addressed the circumstances surrounding the case and the legal proceedings that preceded it.
“Judge Kathleen Waterman-Marshall has granted a motion from Henley and Azoff to dismiss rare books dealer Glenn Horowitz’s lawsuit,” the report states. “In her ruling, Waterman-Marshall insisted that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office had ‘ample probable cause’ to pursue criminal charges against Horowitz.”
Eagles lawyer Dan Petrocelli commented on the outcome in a statement to Rolling Stone. “The only malicious prosecution was Horowitz’s own lawsuit, which the Court promptly and rightly dismissed,” Petrocelli said.
The dismissal marks the conclusion of a lengthy legal dispute that began over a decade ago. Rare Book Hub reports that Henley initially paid $8,500 to regain four pages of original Hotel California lyrics from Edward Kosinski and Craig Inciardi in 2012. He believed he owned them already but later discovered that additional documents related to the album were held by the same individuals.
The situation escalated when the New York District Attorney became involved. The Independent reports that the DA’s office obtained warrants and seized additional documents. A grand jury subsequently indicted Kosinski, Inciardi, and Horowitz on criminal possession of stolen property and conspiracy charges. Henley served as a witness and victim in the criminal proceedings, with the prosecution framed around the unauthorized sale of his handwritten lyrics.
Horowitz’s subsequent lawsuit against Henley and manager Irving Azoff alleged malicious prosecution. AOL News reports that Horowitz claimed Henley made false statements with malicious intent. These statements allegedly interfered with Horowitz’s lawful ownership and right to sell the lyrics and caused emotional distress. Henley and Azoff denied these allegations, asserting that the criminal prosecution was legitimate based on stolen property charges.
Judge Waterman-Marshall’s dismissal of Horowitz’s malicious prosecution lawsuit brings the legal battle to a close in Henley’s favor. The ruling reinforces the court’s confidence in the original criminal investigation and validates the actions taken by both Henley and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in pursuing the case.
