FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A man who had been charged with shooting and wounding a bald eagle has pleaded no contest to reckless discharge of a firearm.
Sixty-five-year-old James A. Nelson of Genessee County's Gaines Township entered his plea Thursday in district court. The misdemeanor charge of shooting an endangered species was dismissed.
A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes.
The Flint Journal reports that Nelson was fined $100 and ordered to surrender the firearm.
His attorney, Michael Manley, says Nelson denies shooting the eagle.
The 5-year-old male eagle was rescued in February after being found with a gunshot wound that broke one of its wings. The Journal says the bird is still being treated and is expected to be released soon.
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Information from: The Flint Journal, http://www.mlive.com/flint
