Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Katrina Gulliver
“A case has been slowly making its way to the Supreme Court hinging on one question: Can the government take this guy’s plane? The story began in 2012, when Ken Jouppi, a pilot in Alaska, was taking a passenger from the city of Fairbanks to the town of Beaver (population: 48). … Among the passenger’s groceries were 3 cases of beer, intended as a gift for her husband. Unfortunately, Beaver is a dry town; thus Ken and his passenger were breaking the law by bringing in alcohol. State troopers searched the plane, and found the beer. But rather than just seizing the Budweiser, and hitting Ken and his passenger with a fine or a citation (they did that too: Ken paid a $1,500 penalty and spent 3 days in jail), prosecutors also decided to seize the whole plane, a 1969 Cessna U206D. A $95,000 aircraft, over 3 cases of beer.” (10/07/25)