The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of an 82-year-old Alaska bush pilot who argues that the state violated the Constitution by confiscating his $95,000 aircraft after authorities found a six-pack of beer on board, CNN reported.
Kenneth Jouppi was convicted of a misdemeanor for transporting alcohol to Beaver, a remote Alaska community where alcohol is banned. State law allows aircraft used to bring alcohol into such communities to be seized, and authorities confiscated Jouppi’s Cessna after troopers searched the plane before a scheduled flight.
Jouppi maintains the beer belonged to a passenger and argues that forfeiting the plane amounts to an excessive fine under the Eighth Amendment. His legal team says the punishment is disproportionate to the offense and is asking the Court to clarify the constitutional limits of asset forfeiture.
Alaska, in turn, argues that such measures are necessary to enforce alcohol restrictions in isolated communities that are primarily accessible by air. The case, expected to be argued later this year or early next year, could have broader implications for how state and local governments use civil and criminal asset forfeiture across the U.S.
