Several cases move to sentencing during recent law day

WALLACE — Last Wednesday was law day in Shoshone County and District Judge Barbara Duggan heard several cases throughout the day.

Among the cases heard was the state of Idaho versus Gregory Bass, as well as Joshua Forrest.

Forrest, 25, was scheduled to appear before Judge Duggan for a simple status conference in preparation for a jury trial that was scheduled for May 17, but instead amended his plea.

Originally, Forrest had pleaded not guilty to the charges of aggravated assault and discharging a weapon at an aircraft, both felonies — however, during his status conference he entered a guilty plea for the weapons charge.

The charges stemmed from an exceptionally bizarre incident on July 17 of last year, when Forrest reportedly abandoned his vehicle on Interstate 90 — which had run out of gas — and after a phone call with the Idaho State Police, made his way onto the nearby Shoshone County Airport grounds.

The airport was being utilized by various wildland fire crews as a base of operations during 2021’s Deceitful Fire — which nearly consumed several North Fork communities.

As Forrest made his way toward some of the firefighters at the airport, he allegedly began making demands of them while brandishing a handgun.

It was during this time that he also attempted to steal a helicopter that was grounded at the airport, according to witnesses on the scene.

Just before 6 p.m. a deputy with the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene, it was at this time that Forrest reportedly fired his gun several times in the air and at the ground, as well as at a vehicle driving away from the area — but no evidence ever showed that he hit the vehicle, any aircraft or structures. He then surrendered to Sheriff’s deputies.

A further search of Forrest’s vehicle led to more questions than answers as it yielded no evidence of anything drug or alcohol related that could’ve influenced Forrest’s erratic behavior that day.

He remained in custody at the Shoshone County Public Safety Building for several months before being released under his recognizance by Judge Scott Wayman on Nov. 30 of last year.

In April, Forrest and his counsel agreed to a pretrial settlement in exchange for Forrest entering his guilty plea on the weapons charge — this resulting in the vacation of his upcoming jury trial.

Forrest will appear before Judge Duggan on July 25 for his sentencing.

Later that day Gregory Bass, 59, appeared before Judge Duggan for a second change-of-plea hearing.

The charges Bass is facing stem from an arrest in January of this year where he was charged with five counts of lewd conduct with a minor under the age of 16, as well as one charge of sexual abuse of a child — all of which occurred in December 2021.

Initially, Bass pled not guilty to all of the charges, and then in late April he appeared before Judge Duggan for scheduled change-of-plea hearing after receiving a pretrial settlement offer from the state that would require him to plead guilty to no less than two of the lewd conduct charges in exchange for the rest of the charges being dropped.

However, Bass decided that he wasn’t ready to make a decision and that he would need more time to consult his legal counsel regarding the offer.

Each of the lewd conduct charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison, while the now-dropped sexual abuse charge carried a maximum sentence of 25 years.

With the change of plea now official, Bass will move to sentencing in August.

It is likely that no matter what charges are presented or pled guilty to, any sentence or sentences that are incurred would run concurrently instead of consecutively, meaning that any time served would count toward both sentences.

It should also be noted that Judge Duggan is not bound by law to honor any agreements made between the defendant in this case (Bass) and the state.

Bass has a lengthy history of sexual crimes, including two prior convictions in Washington state including two counts of first degree child molestation in 2001, and one count of third degree child molestation in 2012.

Bass, who is currently in the custody of the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office, is being held on a $200,000 bond.