The Supreme Court's Beer Fueled Foray into Excessive Fines The US Supreme Court has agreed to review a case from Alaska that pits the government's power to seize property against the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on excessive fines.
At its core, the case revolves around Kenneth Jouppi, who had his 1969 Cessna seized after being convicted of transporting a six pack of beer into a dry village.
Jouppi's argument is not just about the monetary value of his plane but about the principle: can the government strip an individual of their property for a relatively minor infraction?