Former Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and rock memorabilia dealer Edward Kosinski, who were charged with conspiring to possess stolen property related to the attempted auction of Eagles' lyrics, had their charges dropped in March. This decision has not been taken lightly by Don Henley. In response, Henley has taken legal action, filing a lawsuit to regain ownership of the disputed property.
Henley's lawyer, Daniel Petrocelli, stated that the lawsuit was filed in a New York federal court for the return of property stolen from Henley. The property in question includes private handwritten notes and lyrics to the iconic songs from the Hotel California album. Petrocelli emphasized that these 100 pages of personal lyric sheets belong to Mr. Henley and his family, and that Henley has never authorized the defendants or anyone else to sell them for profit.
The New York District Attorney’s Office still has the property in question, pending a decision over its rightful owner. Henley's lawsuit states that because Kosinski and Inciardi have wrongly claimed ownership of Henley’s lyric sheets, a declaration from the court that Henley is the lawful owner is needed to provide ‘satisfactory proof of his title’ and facilitate the District Attorney's return of Henley’s lyric sheets to Henley. The lawsuit further states that because Kosinski and Inciardi have also claimed title over Henley’s lyric sheets, the issue must be decided in a civil court with appropriate jurisdiction.
Henley has demanded a jury trial to settle the matter.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]