Actor Randy Quaid and his wife Evi were booked Monday on felony charges of defrauding an inkeeper in Santa Barbara County. They were each released after posting $100,000 bail. My first thought after reading about Mr. Quaid is that times must be tough for him too. However, if he and his wife both posted $100,000 bail, that means they likely payed a bail bondsman 10 percent of that amount or put up the whole amount themselves. It seems to me that they might have been better off paying the hotel bill to begin with. That is, assuming they really owed it.
Defrauding an inkeeper is a theft offense in California under Penal Code Section 537. It is punishable as a felony if the amount of credit, food, fuel or services is in excess of $400. The charge is punishable by up to three years in state prison or by imprisonment in the county jail. Fortunately, this offense can be reduced to a misdemeanor.
Personally, I have been a big fan of Mr. Quaid since before he played the white loafered, loser brother-in-law in National Lampoon’s Vacation. Randy, I wish you the best of luck in Santa Barbara, and take it from me, almost nobody looks good in their booking photo.