Hearing delayed for Quaids' Canadian refugee claim

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - November 8, 2010 -- An immigration hearing to evaluate actor Randy Quaid's request for refugee status in Canada was postponed Monday.

The case was moved to Nov. 23 after Quaid's lawyer, Catherine Sas, told the immigration adjudicator Monday that she needed more time to review documents.

Randy Quaid and his wife Evi were arrested in Vancouver, British Columbia, last month on outstanding U.S. warrants related to vandalism charges. The Quaids are wanted in Santa Barbara, California, where they missed a court hearing last week on felony vandalism charges - the third time in two weeks the couple failed to appear for their arraignment.

The couple's failure to appear in court resulted in an arrest warrant being issued for Evi Quaid, who also forfeited $500,000 bail. The judge agreed to hold off on issuing a warrant for Randy Quaid's arrest until Nov. 16 so he could attend Monday's immigration proceeding.

The lawyer for the Canada Border Service Agency, Jim Murray, told the hearing Monday that despite claims made in the California court, Quaid is able to leave Canada to attend the California court hearing.

Murray wanted adjudicator Leeann King to issue a public statement saying the board is not preventing Quaid from leaving to attend the California proceedings, but King refused, saying that was not the role of the board.

Outside the hearing room, Sas disagreed Quaid could go to California and return, saying his refugee claim would be prejudiced if he left the country.

"I have the security deposit which states the conditions of his release and it includes attending his admissibility hearing," Sas said of the $9,900 bail Quaid posted to gain release in Canada.

The Quaids have been in Canada since mid-October, following their arrest in a posh Vancouver neighborhood. Evi, 47, can remain in Canada because her father is a Canadian citizen, which allows her to apply for citizenship.

During their first immigration hearing, the couple requested refugee status based on their belief that they were being persecuted by "Hollywood star whackers" and that their lives were in danger. They said they were afraid of Hollywood executives who they say may have contributed to the deaths of stars such as David Carradine and Heath Ledger, neither of which were ruled suspicous.

Quaid and his wife were charged in September after more than $5,000 in damage was found in a guest house of a Montecito, California, home they had previously owned. At the time of their arrest, deputies suspected the couple of illegally squatting in the guest house.

There are no guarantees the Quaids will show up on Nov. 16, other than they risk losing more bail collateral and getting arrested again.

But if they do, there are two judges who would like to see them - the one who will handle their arraignment on the vandalism charges, and another considering whether to issue a lengthy restraining order keeping them away from the family whose house the Quaids are accused of damaging.

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