The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from Kenneth Jouppi, an 82-year-old Alaska bush pilot whose aircraft was confiscated after authorities found beer on board before a flight to a dry village.
Jouppi argues that the seizure of his $95,000 Cessna violated the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits excessive fines.
He was convicted of a misdemeanour after police found Budweiser and Bud Light on the plane, which he says belonged to a passenger.
Representing Jouppi, the Institute for Justice argued that the punishment was disproportionate.
“The Excessive Fines Clause of the Constitution was built for cases like this,” said senior attorney Sam Gedge, according to CNN.
“As government agencies increasingly exploit fines and forfeitures to pad their budgets, it’s vital that the Supreme Court make clear that the Excessive Fines Clause is a meaningful check on government overreach.”
According to court filings, Alaska defended the law, arguing that remote communities face serious alcohol-related problems.
“Given that many communities are accessible primarily by air, the legislature provided that any airplane used to illegally import alcohol into a dry community was subject to forfeiture,” the state told the Supreme Court.
The court’s decision could have wider implications for how state and local governments use asset forfeiture laws across the United States.
