Randy Quaid And Wife Evi Released From Vermont Jail, Joke With Media About Career Change

Randy Quaid and his wife Evi caught a break in a Vermont courtroom today when the presiding judge released Randy and Evi and dropped charges against them due to a lack of probable cause. According to CNN, Judge Alison Arms originally had reduced the bail for Mr. And Mrs. Quaid, but, shortly after that decision, Judge Arms decided the prosecutor in the case had not provided enough evidence to hold Randy and Evi.

Court quickly put back in session. The Quaids are released. Getting more details pic.twitter.com/dKjHcMZggS

— Staci DaSilva (@StaciDaSilva) October 15, 2015

Quaid and his wife reportedly left the courthouse wearing their jailhouse scrubs where Randy joked with the media by asking if there were any prison movies filming in the area and that he might pursue a career in firefighting. Quaid said of attorney Peter Langrock, who negotiated the release and dismissal of charges, “I want to kiss his balding head.” According to Yahoo News, Randy and Evi were ordered not to leave the state of Vermont by Judge Arms, and should they do so, they will be re-arrested.

Randy and Evi Quaid on the streets of St. Albans. Randy asks if there are any prison movies shooting in the area pic.twitter.com/bw8kgTxB33

— Staci DaSilva (@StaciDaSilva) October 15, 2015

The Quaids’ legal troubles began in 2009 when Randy and Evi were arrested for defrauding a Santa Barbara innkeeper by failing to pay a hotel bill totaling more than $10,000. Though charges were eventually dismissed against Randy, Evi pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charges and was ordered probation and community service.

A year later, in 2010, the Quaids were arrested for burglary and vandalism after it was discovered that the pair had been residing in a guest house without permission from the home’s owner. After Randy and Evi failed to appear in court for trial, a warrant was issued for the arrest of the couple. Randy and Evi fled to the bordering country of Canada and in an attempt to avoid extradition back to the United States, the Quaids sought protection under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Eventually, it was discovered that Evi Quaid was a Canadian citizen due to her father’s Canadian birth, and attempts by the United States court to extradite the Quaids back to Santa Barbara failed.

Randy and Evi were arrested in Vermont last Friday as they attempted to cross the border from Canada into Vermont. Randy Quaid had been unsuccessfully attempting to become a permanent Canadian resident since 2011 and, CNN reports it was expected that Randy was going to be deported back to the United States on October 14 anyway.

Lawyers for Randy and Evi state that the couple was attempting the crossover into Vermont because Evi’s father had fallen ill. While the Quaids are expected to follow the judge’s rule of staying in Vermont, their history of failing to appear in court undoubtedly leaves prosecutors skeptical. According to ABC News, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office will seek a governor’s warrant to mandate that the Quaids be returned to California for prosecution.

Randy Quaid made a name for himself in Hollywood with roles in the blockbuster film Independence Day and as the beloved cousin Eddie in the Vacation movie franchise. Many fans of the films were disappointed that Quaid would not be reprising his roles in either the Vacation reboot or Independence Day sequel due to his legal woes that prevented him from returning to the United States for filming.

Quaid, who is the brother of fellow actor Dennis Quaid, became a pariah in the movie world after suing the producers of Brokeback Mountain for “tricking him” into accepting a minimal fee for his supporting role while the movie experienced moderate financial success and substantial Oscar buzz. Though the lawsuit was dropped, Quaid gained a poor reputation from that move and even more so after he and his wife Evi produced a documentary entitled Star Whackers, in which the Quaids claim that Hollywood assassins were attempting to kill them.

[Randy Quaid cover image courtesy of Vermont State Police.]