A $6,500 monetary penalty that was imposed on a Nebraska man who fatally shot a bald eagle and a rough-legged hawk was thrown out Thursday by a federal appeals court that said the value of the birds had been improperly determined.

The trial judge's inflated valuation of the eagle and hawk enhanced the punishment against the shooter, Lamar Bertucci, who was sentenced to eight months in prison and one year of supervised release, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit said.

A three-judge panel ordered a new sentencing hearing for Bertucci. Federal authorities prosecuted Bertucci for violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.