Alaska bush pilot’s bootlegging case heads to the U.S. Supreme Court later this year

Thousands of cases are appealed to the Supreme Court each year; Jouppi’s will become one of about 30 that the court is expected to hear between October and December. Image © iStock - PeterHermesFurianBefore takeoff, an Alaska State Trooper noticed a six-pack of beer visible in the baggage. The state appealed that decision and after several rounds of appeals, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in 2025 that the state’s seizure of Jouppi’s plane was not an excessive fine. The Institute for Justice appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in September 2025, but justices declined for almost a year to decide whether or not to hear the case fully. Under court rules, four justices must vote to take up an appeal in order for it to appear before the court.