Institute for Justice,
by
J. Justin Wilson
Original Article
Posted by
sunset
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7/20/2026 7:36:37 PM
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For more than a decade, the state of Alaska has been trying to permanently forfeit Ken Jouppi’s $95,000 airplane after he transported a passenger carrying a six-pack of beer. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide whether it can. For decades, Ken flew his Cessna across the Alaskan wilderness, shuttling the locals. Then, in 2012, state troopers found some Budweiser tucked in a passenger’s luggage. Ken and the passenger were charged with misdemeanors, fined $1,500 and sentenced to three days in jail. But that wasn’t enough for Alaska. For the past 14 years, the state has fought to take Ken’s plane too, as additional punishment for a passenger’s beer.