Don Henley Cleared in Malicious Prosecution Lawsuit Over Stolen Eagles Lyrics Dispute
A New York State Supreme Court judge has dismissed a malicious prosecution lawsuit filed by Glenn Horowitz, a rare books dealer accused of trying to sell stolen copies of handwritten Eagles lyrics. The decision comes after prosecutors abandoned the criminal case last year due to new information and lack of confidence in its merits.
Horowitz had sued Don Henley, the Eagles' songwriter, and longtime manager Irving Azoff, alleging they had maliciously prosecuted him over the dispute. However, Judge Kathleen Waterman-Marshall granted their motion to dismiss the suit, stating that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office had "ample probable cause" to pursue a criminal case against Horowitz.
Waterman-Marshall also noted that none of the documents released during the trial exonerated Horowitz, and the prosecution's dismissal was based on the inability of his defense team to present certain information. She added that there was no finding that this information was withheld by Henley or any other defendant for an improper purpose.
Henley's lawyer, Dan Petrocelli, hailed the decision as a victory, saying "The only malicious prosecution was Horowitz's own lawsuit, which the Court promptly and rightly dismissed." Horowitz, however, plans to appeal the decision and reargue against Henley and Azoff.
The dispute began when Kosinski and Inciardi tried to sell excerpts from the lyrics on several occasions, prompting Henley to file a report with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. The Manhattan DA's office eventually got involved, and Horowitz claimed that Henley had pursued and materially assisted in his prosecution by making false statements to law authorities.
However, Judge Waterman-Marshall ruled that Henley's report to law enforcement did not constitute intentional infliction of emotional distress, which is the claim underpinning Horowitz's lawsuit. The case remains ongoing, with Horowitz still pursuing a malicious prosecution suit against the city of New York and Henley seeking to reclaim the lyrics sheets.
The handwritten notes, which include over 100 pages of allegedly stolen drafts of songs from the Eagles' "Hotel California," have remained in the custody of the Manhattan DA's office. A decision on their rightful ownership is pending.
A New York State Supreme Court judge has dismissed a malicious prosecution lawsuit filed by Glenn Horowitz, a rare books dealer accused of trying to sell stolen copies of handwritten Eagles lyrics. The decision comes after prosecutors abandoned the criminal case last year due to new information and lack of confidence in its merits.
Horowitz had sued Don Henley, the Eagles' songwriter, and longtime manager Irving Azoff, alleging they had maliciously prosecuted him over the dispute. However, Judge Kathleen Waterman-Marshall granted their motion to dismiss the suit, stating that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office had "ample probable cause" to pursue a criminal case against Horowitz.
Waterman-Marshall also noted that none of the documents released during the trial exonerated Horowitz, and the prosecution's dismissal was based on the inability of his defense team to present certain information. She added that there was no finding that this information was withheld by Henley or any other defendant for an improper purpose.
Henley's lawyer, Dan Petrocelli, hailed the decision as a victory, saying "The only malicious prosecution was Horowitz's own lawsuit, which the Court promptly and rightly dismissed." Horowitz, however, plans to appeal the decision and reargue against Henley and Azoff.
The dispute began when Kosinski and Inciardi tried to sell excerpts from the lyrics on several occasions, prompting Henley to file a report with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. The Manhattan DA's office eventually got involved, and Horowitz claimed that Henley had pursued and materially assisted in his prosecution by making false statements to law authorities.
However, Judge Waterman-Marshall ruled that Henley's report to law enforcement did not constitute intentional infliction of emotional distress, which is the claim underpinning Horowitz's lawsuit. The case remains ongoing, with Horowitz still pursuing a malicious prosecution suit against the city of New York and Henley seeking to reclaim the lyrics sheets.
The handwritten notes, which include over 100 pages of allegedly stolen drafts of songs from the Eagles' "Hotel California," have remained in the custody of the Manhattan DA's office. A decision on their rightful ownership is pending.
. I mean, come on, Glenn Horowitz thinks Don Henley and Irving Azoff are trying to silence him? It's all just a bunch of drama and overblown egos 
. If you ask me, Horowitz should've thought twice before trying to sell those stolen lyrics in the first place 
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. Horowitz is basically trying to pin all his problems on someone else and get rich off it 
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. I'm rooting for the city of New York in this one 
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. It's also telling that Horowitz plans to appeal, suggesting that he still believes there's some merit to his claims 
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. The fact that Horowitz was able to sell excerpts from the lyrics without Henley's permission raises questions about the limits of fair use and the role of law enforcement in these disputes 
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! Don Henley and Glenn Horowitz should've worked things out instead of going to court over it. It's not like the lyrics are gonna change anyone's life or anything 
. And now Horowitz is planning to appeal? Come on, dude... you lost in court 
. I guess it just goes to show that even with new info, cases can still be tricky. Maybe they'll settle eventually and we'll all just move on from this 
. But hey, I'm not taking sides here... it's all about understanding the artist's perspective and the importance of preserving their original work 
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i mean, who tries to sell stolen eagles lyrics? and now he gets to breathe easy again 
it's kinda sad that glenn horowitz is still going on about this though, like seriously, move on fam 
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. I get that you might think it's unfair to be sued by someone who's trying to make money off your work, but come on man... if you're gonna do something shady, at least have the decency to own up to it. 
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I DONT KNOW ABOUT HORWITZs NEXT MOVE BUT HE BETTER WATCH HIS BACK OR HE COULD BE FACING EVEN MORE TRASH TALK FROM HENLEY AND AZOFF!!! 
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The Manhattan DA's office has 'em locked away still... just a whole lot of drama over some song lyrics 
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