The Hawaii Paroling Authority has notified John Szemkow that his parole request has been denied at this time, Szemkow's lawyer, John Schum, said today.

Szemkow, 48, is serving a 10-year sentence for leaving the scene of an accident on Kunia Road on April 6, 2006, in which four farm workers were killed.

The authority had ruled earlier that Szemkow was eligible for parole after having served five months.

The board said it denied Szemkow parole because he is also serving a one-year misdemeanor sentence for negligent homicide in the third degree stemming from the Kunia Road incident.

The board said it will schedule a rehearing for parole consideration in August — after Szemkow has completed the one-year misdemeanor sentence.

Although Schum said he was surprised by the decision, he said he understands how it could have been made, considering the board has no jurisdiction over misdemeanor convictions.

"We understand and appreciate that the Paroling Authority's decision to deny Mr. Szemkow's request for parole at this time is complicated by the misdemeanor jail sentence," said Schum.

"Based on the Paroling Authority's only stated reason for denying his request — the one-year misdemeanor sentence — we are confident that Mr. Szemkow's request for parole will be favorably acted upon following the August 2009 hearing. …"

Following a lengthy parole hearing on Feb. 10 the parole board indicated it was having doubts about whether Szemkow knowingly left the scene of the accident on Kunia Road on April 6, 2006.

"We need to make sure that we have the right guy in prison," parole board chairman Albert Tufono told Szemkow at the conclusion of that hearing.