Randy Quaid and wife, Evi finally hold court

[HMG] – In proof that, sometimes, justice can be swift, Randy Quaid and wife, Evi, have already appeared in a California court after their arrest last weekend in Texas.

The couple, who skipped numerous earlier court hearings with no explanation, are accused of using an invalid credit card to defraud the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito of more than $10,000 during a Summer vacation.

Wearing a smart, pinstriped suit and now boasting his very own Santa Claus-sized beard, Randy and Evi arrived early for the 10.30am arraignment, and spoke only once – To enter pleas of not guilty.

Facing charges of burglary, defrauding an innkeeper and conspiracy the pair were then ordered to return to the court on March 1st for a preliminary hearing to face formal charges.

“A lot of things can happen between now and then,” Santa Barbara Detective Rod Forney told reporters. “It could be dropped to a misdemeanor, or there could be a plea deal…But they could also face a jury trial.”

The couple’s Attorney, Robert Sanger says his clients have since repaid the Ranch, and now hope to resolve the case.

The Quaid’s lost $40,000 in bail when they skipped out a court date on December 15, but the Judge allowed that cash to stand as bail for this appearance and released the couple on bond.

Randy’s Texas-based Attorney, Rod Ponton says that, as the bill is now paid the charges no longer fit; “They were never on the run from the law,” he told the AP. “There’s a lot of misinformation about this. It’s much ado about nothing.”

Let’s see how much ‘ado’ there is on March 1st…Assuming the lawyers can find them…