One six-pack of beer could significantly alter how the Constitution regulates law enforcement

The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear an Alaska man’s challenge to the state’s effort to confiscate his plane over a six-pack of beer, setting the stage for a case that could upend the ability of law enforcement to impose asset forfeiture.Kenneth Jouppi, now 82, was operating a one-man air taxi service using his personally-owned 1969 Cessna plane in 2012 when Alaska state troopers executed a search warrant on his plane and found alcohol on board, including one six-pack that they said was plainly visible.At the time, Jouppi was on a runway in Fairbanks preparing to take a customer and her groceries to the remote village of Beaver near the center of the state.Having beer on board wasn’t illegal on its own.

However, since Beaver had banned the possession or sale of alcohol within its limits, Jouppi was convicted of alcohol importation, a misdemeanor.The Alaska Supreme Court held that, under the alcohol importation ban, the state was required to confiscate Jouppi’s Cessna.GOP LAWMAKERS URGE SUPREME COURT TO STRENGTHEN FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTIONS FOR STREET PREACHERSPerson walks outside of the U.S.

Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.  (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin/File)Jouppi has since argued in court that the state’s seizure of his plane, valued at $95,000, runs afoul of the 8th Amendment’s ban on excessive fines.Now, the Supreme Court will weigh in on whether he’s right.When ruling on Jouppi’s case, the court will have the opportunity to seriously rein in the ability of state and local governments to impose asset forfeiture — a longtime goal of civil libertarians."For centuries, English common law took into account the characteristics of the defendant and his or her specific violation in determining excessiveness," a trio of scholars working for the libertarian Cato Institute wrote of the case.

"When courts lose touch with the original understanding of a fundamental right, they risk watering down the constitutional protections that must be afforded t...