By Ray King
The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday said Circuit Judge Jodi Raines Dennis was correct when she denied a challenged to the parole eligibility of an inmate housed at the Tucker Unit of the Department of Corrections.
Husia Harkuf, formerly known at Robert Moten, 44, was convicted of first-degree battery and second-degree battery in Arkansas County in 2010 and was sentenced to a total of 264 months in prison.
He had previously been convicted of discharging a firearm from a vehicle in 1995 and according to state law, “any person convicted of a violent felony and who has previously been found guilty of a violent felony shall not be eligible for release on parole.”
In his appeal, Harkuf contended that his conviction for discharging a firearm from a vehicle was not a violent offense and conflicts with another section of state law but the high court disagreed.
According to the Department of Correction website, Harkuf will complete his sentence in 2031.
