Should the fine have to fit the crime?

Planet Money

Oct 24

Overview Shownote Highlights Transcript Chapters Pins

Shownote

The U.S. Constitution famously outlaws “cruel and unusual punishments.” But there's another, far more obscure part of the Constitution called the Excessive Fines Clause, which basically says that the fine has to fit the crime. So far, the Supreme Court has...

Highlights

When a six-pack of beer led to the seizure of a $95,000 plane, it sparked a legal battle that cuts to the heart of justice and proportionality in American law.

02:55

A passenger brought a six-pack of Budweiser and cases of beer on Ken's plane to a dry town.

12:34

A $300,000 forfeiture for failing to report cash was ruled unconstitutionally excessive.

15:52

Ken Jouppi lost his $95,000 Cessna over a six-pack of beer

Chapters

What happens when a single passenger's six-pack costs a pilot his plane?

00:00

How a decade-long fight exposes a loophole in constitutional protections

05:41

Why courts struggle to stop wildly disproportionate fines

15:52

Can the Supreme Court rein in a system built on punishing for profit?

24:56

Transcript

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