Appeal denied for man who rammed SIIS office

Wednesday, March 25, 1998 | 9:57 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court Tuesday dismissed the appeal of Jim Forrester who was sentenced to seven years in prison for crashing his truck into the State Industrial Insurance System's Las Vegas office and peppering it with bullets.

Forrester maintained his prison term was cruel and unusual punishment because of his severe medical problems. He claimed he is a "prisoner in his own body" and "has been sentenced to serve the rest of his life in excruciating pain."

The state Parole Board in December agreed to release Forrester, 62, in May and he plans to return to Las Vegas. Forrester is disabled but told the board he intends to find work.

Forrester suffered a back injury on the job and became frustrated with the way SIIS was handling his claim. In July 1993, he drove his Chevrolet Blazer into the office building at Charleston Boulevard and Shadow Lane and opened fire. The incident ended when Forrester was shot in the head by a security officer.

In addition to his prison term, Forrester was ordered to pay $261,395 in restitution.

The Supreme Court said Forrester's medical condition was serious and unfortunate, but it was not caused by sentencing Judge Mark Gibbons. The high court said Gibbons allowed Forrester additional time before his sentence was imposed and sent him to the Nevada State Prison in Carson City so he could receive better medical care than was available in the state's other detention centers.

This is the second appeal in a month that Forrester has lost in the Supreme Court. In February it ruled that SIIS was not negligent in handling his injured worker claim.