Berkeley law grad sorry for Vegas bird beheading

(05-12) 14:44 PDT LAS VEGAS -- A UC Berkeley law school graduate apologized Monday for beheading an exotic bird in Las Vegas during a drunken escapade and was sentenced to up to four years of probation after completing six months in a Nevada prison "boot camp."

Justin Teixeira, 25, must also perform 16 hours of community service each month, Clark County District Court Judge Stefany Miley said at a hearing in Las Vegas.

Teixeira pleaded guilty last year to killing another person's animal, a felony charge, for the October 2012 attack on a 14-year-old helmeted guinea fowl named Turk at the Flamingo Hotel.

Teixeira successfully spent 190 days in a military-style program of educational and physical training and manual labor as ordered by a judge, said Frank Coumou, a Clark County chief deputy district attorney.

If he completes a probation term of up to four years, he can withdraw his felony plea and instead be found guilty of a gross misdemeanor, Coumou said.

"I think this young man has really paid a significant price for his bad behavior," Coumou said. "One bad decision after a night of heavy drinking has really put a serious wrinkle in his future."

Teixeira's attorney has said his client is "extremely remorseful for his actions he committed while heavily intoxicated."

Teixeira passed the California State Bar last year but has yet to apply for the moral character determination that is required before being considered for admission to practice law.

Whether he can practice law may depend on whether the felony stays on his record. According to the state bar website, those convicted of violent felonies or felonies involving moral turpitude "are presumed not to be of good moral character in the absence of a pardon or a showing of overwhelming reform and rehabilitation."

Two other men were convicted for their roles in the case, which drew nationwide headlines.

Hazhir Kargaran, 27, who completed his third and final year at UC Berkeley School of Law, pleaded no contest to three misdemeanors: instigating animal cruelty, property destruction and trespassing. He was sentenced to two days in jail and 48 hours of community service.

Eric Cuellar, 26, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of instigating animal cruelty. He got a $200 fine and 48 hours of community service.

Authorities said the three men were intoxicated when they chased the bird into trees at the hotel's wildlife habitat. "A witness then observed the suspects emerge from the trees, carrying the body and severed head of the bird," police said.

Video footage from the hotel and Cuellar's iPhone helped investigators, Coumou said.