Six-pack Flight Sparks Supreme Court Fight Over Plane Forfeiture

The Supreme Court agreed to hear Kenneth Jouppi’s challenge to Alaska’s seizure of his 1969 Cessna after a passenger carried a six-pack of beer to a dry village. Jouppi argues the forfeiture violates the Eighth Amendment’s Excessive Fines Clause, while Alaska contends the state’s legal standard supports the seizure. Arguments are expected in the fall, with Jouppi backed by the Institute for Justice against the state’s position.