Pilot Kenneth Jouppi, 82, is challenging an Alaska Supreme Court ruling that upheld the forfeiture of his Cessna over three cases of beer as an excessive fine. With the help of the Institute for Justice, Jouppi is appealing a ruling by the Alaska Supreme Court that upheld the forfeiture of his aircraft, a punishment he argues violates the Constitution’s protection against excessive fines. On April 3, 2012, Jouppi was set to fly a passenger and her groceries from Fairbanks to Beaver, only to find three cases of beer hidden in the luggage. The Alaska State Troopers searched the plane and found the beer, leading to charges of transporting alcohol into a dry village. Beaver had banned alcohol importation in 2004, and Jouppi was convicted, fined $1,500, and sentenced to three days in jail. Prosecutors then moved to seize his Cessna worth $95,000 under Alaska Statute 04.16.220(a)(3)(C). Lower courts initially ruled the forfeiture excessive, but the Alaska Supreme Court in 2024 upheld it, citing the Eighth Amendment. Now, Jouppi has filed his petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing for clarity on what constitutes an unconstitutionally excessive fine.
According to court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital, prosecutors moved to seize Jouppi’s Cessna U206D aircraft, valued at approximately $95,000, under Alaska Statute 04.16.220(a)(3)(C), which mandates forfeiture of vehicles used to transport alcohol illegally. Lower courts initially sided with Jouppi, finding that confiscating an entire airplane over the cases of beer was excessive. But, in 2024, the Alaska Supreme Court reversed the decision. The justices acknowledged that forfeiture is a form of fine under the Eighth Amendment but ruled that it was not grossly disproportional to the offense.
In June 2025, Jouppi then filed his petition with the U.S. Supreme Court. According to the Institute for Justice, Jouppi’s case is about more than one man’s airplane, but about safeguarding Americans from excessive financial penalties imposed by the government.