Don Henley, the 76-year-old music icon, testified in court on Monday regarding a criminal trial involving stolen handwritten draft lyrics to Eagles hits, including Hotel California. Henley revealed that a "poor decision" led to his arrest in November 1980, where authorities found drugs and a 16-year-old sex worker suffering from an overdose at his Los Angeles home. Despite his regret over the incident, Henley maintained that he never engaged in sexual activity with the girl. He pleaded no contest in 1981 to contributing to the delinquency of a minor, receiving probation, a $2,500 fine, and participation in a drug education program to resolve the charges.

Henley's testimony was part of the trial where three collectibles professionals, including rare-book dealer Glenn Horowitz, faced charges related to the possession of the stolen lyric pages. The approximately 100 pages of legal-pad paper with lyrics-in-the-making for songs from the Hotel California album were at the center of the legal dispute. The defendants acquired the pages through writer Ed Sanders, who collaborated with the Eagles in 1979 on a band biography that remained unpublished.

Throughout the trial, Henley highlighted the significance of the stolen lyrics and his efforts to recover them over the years. The Grammy-winning artist's role as the prosecution's key witness underscores the gravity of the case, which centers on alleged collusion to obscure the ownership of the documents and attempt their sale. The defendants have pleaded not guilty, asserting that the acquisition of the lyric sheets was legally sound.

The trial also serves as a platform for Henley to address his arrest from over four decades ago, shedding light on a tumultuous period in his life that he continues to reckon with today.