‘Hotel California’ Charges Dismissed After New Evidence Emerges

The criminal case against three men accused of conspiring to possess stolen handwritten lyrics to the iconic Hotel California album was suddenly dismissed mid-trial, after the judge learned that Eagles co-founder Don Henley and his lawyers had withheld evidence from the defense.

In an embarrassing setback for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the charges in 2022, New York Supreme Court Justice Curtis Farber threw the case out on Wednesday. He found that the defendants hadn’t been able to review more than 6,000 pages of emails and other evidence.

Don Henley of the Eagles leaves Manhattan Criminal Court on Feb. 26.

Photographer: Adam Gray/Getty Images

The judge, who was hearing the case without ...