An Alaska Man's $95,000 Plane Was Seized
Over a 6-Pack of Beer. Now He's Taking
His Case to the Supreme Court.
Posted By: sunset, 9/3/2025 1:02:31 AM
An Alaska man is petitioning the Supreme Court to consider whether the government's seizure of his $95,000 plane for transporting an illicit six-pack of beer is an excessive fine under the Eighth Amendment. The Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm, filed a petition for writ of certiorari today on behalf of Ken Jouppi, an 82-year-old Alaskan bush pilot, asking the Supreme Court to rule on whether states should consider the gravity of a defendant's specific offense, rather than an abstract view of the general crime. Jouppi was convicted of a misdemeanor when a passenger was attempting to bring beer to a "dry" village where alcohol is prohibited.
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An Alaska man is petitioning the Supreme Court to consider whether the government's seizure of his $95,000 plane for transporting an illicit six-pack of beer is an excessive fine under the Eighth Amendment. The Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm, filed a petition for writ of certiorari today on behalf of Ken Jouppi, an 82-year-old Alaskan bush pilot, asking the Supreme Court to rule on whether states should consider the gravity of a defendant's specific offense, rather than an abstract view of the general crime. Jouppi was convicted of a misdemeanor when a passenger was attempting to bring beer to a "dry" village where alcohol is prohibited.
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‘Not enough’: S.F. offers $5K Airbnb
gift cards to residents ‘squatting’
in housing units 14 replies
gift cards to residents ‘squatting’
in housing units 14 replies
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kill Trump 25 replies
to indict two accused of threatening to
kill Trump 25 replies
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Comments:
The Institute for Justice has been very successful at the SCOTUS. They have been granted 12 petitions for certiorari at the SCOTUS and won 10 of those cases. Whether this case gets accepted is still up in the air.