"Sean is not the stereotypical cop who is kind of intimidating, but rather a friendly and down-to-earth kind of guy that you would want to be friends with, " David Hou, an MIT sophomore, told CNN.

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"It's prejudicial, " Gerald Lefcourt, an attorney for Ms. Hou, said in an interview.

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They and 16 other young birds had just been transferred from the kakapo stronghold of Codfish Island (Whenua Hou), an island right at the bottom of New Zealand, to Chalky Island (Te Kakahu) in Fiordland.

BBC: NEWS | Science/Nature | Rare birds killed by deadly bug

Mr. Pan and Ms. Hou denied wrongdoing and are exploring an appeal of the jury's verdict, according to their attorneys.

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Ms. Hou and Mr. Pan were indicted in April 2012 and charged in an alleged scheme to defraud the city of campaign-matching funds through the use of straw donors.

WSJ: Guilty Verdicts in Liu Trial