禁酒村庄运酒案：阿拉斯加为强制没收飞机在联邦最高法院辩护，12 月 1 日开庭
阿拉斯加州正在联邦最高法院为其「强制没收飞机」法律辩护。案件涉及飞行员 Kenneth Jouppi：他用一架 1969 年产 Cessna 丛林飞机向实行禁酒的偏远村庄运送酒精，被定罪后，州政府依据法律没收了这架价值约 9.5 万美元的飞机。阿拉斯加州最高法院 2025 年 4 月维持了没收决定，认定虽然飞机价值约为法定最高罚款 1 万美元的 9.5 倍，但该处罚并未「明显不成比例」；法院同时指出，没收不会剥夺被告的生计，因为他已基本退休且还拥有另一架飞机。
联邦最高法院今年 7 月决定受理此案，庭辩定于 12 月 1 日举行。争议焦点是第八修正案「超额罚款条款」的衡量标准：法官在审查非现金没收时，应只紧扣被告的行为与法定罚款上限，还是应给予立法机关的判断和社区所受危害更重的权重。双方本月已提交辩护状，联邦政府及多个阿拉斯加组织也以「法庭之友」身份加入。
本案超出个案意义：如果最高法院支持阿拉斯加的立场，强制没收飞机这一手段今后仍可用于惩治向禁酒村庄运酒的初犯；若推翻，则该州在偏远社区执法的一大工具将被削弱。州方强调，允许飞机罚没是立法机关对偏远村庄公共安全的判断。（GSM 据联邦最高法院案件记录报道）
Alaska Defends Plane Forfeiture Law Before the U.S. Supreme Court in Bootlegging Case: Arguments Set for Dec. 1
Alaska is defending its mandatory plane-forfeiture law before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case involves pilot Kenneth Jouppi, who used a 1969 Cessna bush plane to carry alcohol into a dry rural village. After his conviction, the state seized the plane, worth about $95,000, under the law. The Alaska Supreme Court upheld the forfeiture in April 2025, finding that although the plane was worth about 9.5 times the $10,000 maximum criminal fine, the penalty was not "grossly disproportional"; the court also noted the forfeiture would not deprive Jouppi of his livelihood because he is largely retired and owns another plane.
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in July, with oral arguments set for Dec. 1. At issue is the standard under the Eighth Amendment's Excessive Fines Clause: whether courts reviewing non-cash forfeitures should look only at the offender's conduct and the statutory fine cap, or give more weight to legislative judgments and the harm to the community. Both sides filed briefs this month, and the federal government and several Alaska organizations have joined as amici curiae.
The ruling will reach beyond one case: if the court sides with Alaska, mandatory plane forfeiture will remain a tool against first-time offenders who fly alcohol into dry villages; if it reverses, a major enforcement tool for remote communities will be weakened. (GSM, based on U.S. Supreme Court case records)
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：美国国家公园管理局（Jacob W. Frank 摄，公共领域）
GSM Global · 本篇英文版 English edition of this story
