A criminal trial centered around the lyrics to “Hotel California” ended abruptly on Wednesday after prosecutors opted to drop all charges.
The trial centered around Don Henley’s handwritten lyrics to “Hotel California” and other Eagles hits, which the singer claimed were stolen by three men who tried to sell them. The defendants claimed they acquired the handwritten pages lawfully.
Henley himself took the stand last week.
On Wednesday morning, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office announced they would no longer move forward with the case, citing issues of fairness when Henley waived attorney-client privilege after testifying – which resulted in evidence being provided to the defense too late for them to use it.