Randy Quaid and his wife have been released from Canadian jails after a judge dismissed fugitive from justice charges against them.
Quaid and his wife Evi, a film director, are wanted in Santa Barbara, California, to face charges for allegedly squatting in a property they once owned and damaging fixtures. They denied the vandalism charges and claimed they still owned the property.
The pair were detained at the Canadian border while trying to re-enter the United States earlier this week. A Vermont judge released them on Friday after ruling there was a discrepancy in dates in paperwork filed in California.
“I never worried about being found guilty or any of that for any of these charges because I know the truth, and I know the facts are going to come out at some point, and today was a good sign of that,” Quaid told reporters as he left the courthouse. He said he passed the time in prison by playing Sodouki with other inmates.
The couple’s lawyer claimed Ms Qauid was threatened by another inmate, who left faeces in her cell. He said the pair would stay in Vermont to care for Ms Quaid’s father and deal with the California charges.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's office said it will seek a governor's warrant to order the Quaids' return to California
Quaid, 65, is an Academy Award nominated actor who had roles in Independence Day and Brokeback Mountain. He is the elder brother of the actor Dennis Quaid.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press
