This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Five police officers are down in Pennsylvania after a barrage of gunfire erupted as they were serving a warrant.
Reports say a gunman is dead, and three officers have died. Another officer was reported in "grave" condition and another in critical. Names were not released immediately.
A York County deputy also was injured, officials reported.
Federal officials said Washington's resources were being offered to help, and FBI chief Kash Patel said, "Our prayers are with the officers, their families, and the entire York County community."
Officers reportedly were serving a warrant when an alleged suspect fired on them, NBC reported.
"The alleged shooter is believed to be dead from a self inflicted gunshot wound, the sources added," according to a report in the Daily Mail.
Nearby schools and hospitals were locked down.
One witness told a local broadcaster that at least 30 shots were fired.
The Daily Mail said a witness reported an officer lying in the middle of a road.
"More police were still rolling and they were coming from all directions. It wasn't long til I heard a helicopter."
Gov. Josh Shapiro said he was en route to the scene.
The Mail noted the Mexican Consulate said it was monitoring the situation but it was unclear why the consulate was involved.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, "'We are working with our interagency partners and will share more information as soon as it becomes available. We are praying for the victims and their families. This violence must stop."
"Violence against law enforcement is a scourge on our society and never acceptable," Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a statement on X. "Pray for the officers involved."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Prosecutors in Utah working now on the case against Tyler Robinson, the alleged assassin of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk last week, have released copies of social media chat between Robinson and his transgender roommate.
The conversation released by Utah County District Attorney Jeffrey Gray was between Robinson and his "transgender (male) lover, Lance Twiggs."
Robinson: Drop what you're doing. Look under my keyboard.
Note under keyboard: 'I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it.'
Twiggs: What? You're joking, right?
Robinson: 'I am still okay, my love, but am still stuck in Oren for a little while longer yet. Shouldn't be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest, I had hoped to keep this secret until I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.
Twiggs: You weren't the one who did it, right?
Robinson: I am. I'm sorry.
Twiggs: I thought they caught the person.
Robinson: No, they grabbed some crazy old dude, then interrogated someone in similar clothing. I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. It's quiet, almost enough to get out, but there is one vehicle lingering.
There's more:
Twiggs: Why?
Robinson: Why did I do it?'
Twiggs: Yeah.
Robinson: I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out. If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence. Going to attempt to retrieve it again. Hopefully they have moved on. I haven't seen anything about them finding it.
Twiggs: How long have you been planning this?
Robinson: A little over a week, I believe. I can get close to [the rifle] but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don't want to chance it.
Robinson: I wish I had circled back and grabbed it as soon as I got to my vehicle. I'm worried what my old man would do if I didn't bring back grandpa's rifle. IDEK if it has a serial number, but it wouldn't trace to me. I worry about prints. I had to leave it in a bush where I changed outfits. I didn't have the ability or time to bring it with. I might have to abandon it and hope that they don't find prints. How the F will I explain losing it to my old man? Only thing I left was the rifle wrapped in a towel."
Then Robinson delivers some specific instructions:
Robinson: Delete this exchange.
And he warned Twiggs not to talk to anyone or answer any questions.
Robinson, 22, now has been charged with capital murder and other counts that could result, if he is convicted, in the death penalty.
According to the Daily Caller News Foundation the suspect's mother told authorities that her son "had become more political and had started to lean more to the left – becoming more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Vice President JD Vance says his own young children have now become victims of raging vitriol being spewed by leftists in a politically charged America.
As Vance hosted "The Charlie Kirk Show" on Rumble on Monday, the vice president, who was a close friend of the assassinated civil-rights leader, recounted how he and his family were viciously hollered at during a recent visit to Disneyland in California.
"'You should disown your dad, you little sh**!' one middle-aged woman yelled at my 5-year-old. 'Tell the Secret Service to protect the Constitution – not your father!' screamed another.
"Are these women violent? Probably not. Are they deranged? Certainly. And while our side of the aisle certainly has its crazies, it is a statistical fact that most of the lunatics in American politics today are proud members of the far left."
Vance, who was broadcasting from his office in the West Wing of the White House, continued: "After Charlie died, one of his friends and one of our senior White House staffers had left-leaning operatives in his neighborhood passing out leaflets telling people what he looked like and where he lived, encouraging neighbors to harass him or, God forbid, to do worse.
"While he was mourning his dead friend, he and his wife had to worry about the political terrorists drawing a big target on the home he shares with his young children. Are these people violent? I hope not. But are they guilty of encouraging violence? You damn well better believe it!"
Vance also went "scorched earth" on individuals celebrating Kirk's assassination.
"There is no unity with people who scream at children over their parents' politics," Vance said. "There is no unity with someone who lies about what Charlie Kirk said in order to excuse his murder.
"There is no unity with someone who harasses an innocent family the day after the father of that family lost a dear friend.
"There is no unity with the people who celebrate Charlie Kirk's assassination!"
"There is no unity with the people who fund these articles, who pay the salaries of these terrorist sympathizers, who argue that Charlie Kirk, a loving husband and father, deserved a shot to the neck because he spoke words with which they disagree."
Vance concluded: "I can't promise you that this is gonna be easy. I can't promise you that all of us will avoid Charlie's fate.
"I can't promise you that I will avoid Charlie's fate, but the best way to honor him is to shine the light of truth like a torch in the very darkest places. Go do it!
"We owe it to our friend to ensure that his killer is not just prosecuted, but punished. And the worst punishment is not the death penalty, but the knowledge that Charlie's mission continues after he's gone. St. Paul tells us in Ephesians to put on the full armor of God."
Elon Musk saw Vance's statement, and noted: "Unity is impossible with evil fanatics who celebrate murder."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
As Americans continue to try to make sense of last week's assassination of Christian champion and civil rights leader Charlie Kirk, videos are emerging of the outspoken Jesus worshiper issuing a challenge to fellow believers about what he calls "the most ignored commandment" of the Ten Commandments.
"I speak at hundreds of churches of all different denominations," Kirk told the Wisdom Pearl, "and I will challenge the Christian church because I believe this is the most ignored commandment of the Decalogue to our own detriment."
"We do a horrible job of honoring the Sabbath," he explained. "We do a really bad job of that as American Christians."
And what may come as a surprise to millions of Christians, the Sabbath he observed and promoted is NOT Sunday when many congregate to worship on the first day of the week, but rather the seventh day of the week, when Jews and some Christians cease from their work.
The founder of Turning Point USA indicated, "The Sabbath is one of my favorite topics to talk about honestly 'cause I'm so sick of talking about politics all day long, it's all I do. So it drives me crazy. This is actually way more important than that."
Kirk said he'll go "a step further" than merely challenging fellow Christians about ignoring the instruction from God.
"I believe that honoring the Sabbath is the commandment that allows you to honor the other nine commandments, and that the enemy has gone after the honoring the Sabbath because then it is easier to weaken the other nine. And I'll prove it to you," he said.
"If you're honoring the Sabbath, it's definitionally easier to honor your mother and father because you're not working that day and are with family. If you're honoring the Sabbath, it's easier not to covet your neighbor's wife because you're not around your neighbor's wife. You're with your family and you're filled with gratitude that day.
"When you're honoring the Sabbath, it's easier to have no other gods before God because that day is built in time as a temple, as a sanctuary to put God first, to not have idols, to not take the Lord's name in vain. The other nine commandments are made easier, are made more accessible for our broken fleshly depraved nature if we prioritize the Shabbat."
Prior to his shocking assassination Wednesday at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Kirk had completed a book on the subject titled "Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Change Your Life," which is now set for release posthumously in December.
"It's honestly how the Sabbath saved my life and helped preserve my family and helped preserve my career," Kirk noted of the book.
Kirk was willing to talk about his personal religious background as he explained his awakening to resting on the seventh day of the week.
"I grew up in a Presbyterian background. We left that church, we went to what would be best called as a Bible-believing, evangelical church. So not quite Calvinist, not Pentecostal, somewhere in the middle," he recounted.
"We believe in many of the same stuff, guys. I believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. I believe you need Jesus Christ. I believe in grace not works. I believe that there is heaven awaiting us."
He indicated two prominent figures helped open his eyes to resting on the seventh day: Pastor David Engelhardt, a board member at Turning Point USA, and Dennis Prager, the nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and WorldNetDaily columnist who is also the founder of Prager University.
"I was exhausted, it was the summer of 2021. I sat down with [Pastor Engelhardt], I said, 'I'm not sleeping well, I'm fatigued.' And he asked me very bluntly: Are you honoring the Sabbath?' And I gave him very weak theological arguments honestly [such as] 'Oh, I'm not bound to that,' or 'No, I'm not really interested in that, I don't have to do that.' And he really challenged me and I didn't have good responses to be perfectly honest with you."
Of Prager, who is Jewish, Kirk said he "is the premier Torah teacher of this generation. He's amazing, he's a phenomenal mind."
"He would always talk about the Shabbat, always taking about the Sabbath. And I found myself, after a couple of years of hearing this, getting really jealous of him, being like, 'Wait a second! You're just able to unplug for one day and not work and be with friends and family and worship God? I want that!' And I would start to get really jealous in the worst possible way.
"And then I realized it's not something that you go purchase at the store. It's not something that you have to take out a loan for. It's simply the prioritization of the question of: Who's in charge? It's that simple.
"And if you believe God is in charge and if you believe Genesis 1:1 – because Shabbat is a question of whether or not you believe Genesis 1:1 – and if you believe Genesis 1:1, then you honor the Sabbath.
"If you have questions about Genesis 1:1 – 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth' … it's the first truth-claim of the Scriptures, then on the seventh day you rest because God created the heavens and the earth. It is the longest standing celebration of time of the creation of the heavens and the earth. And so that realization changed my life."
Kirk admitted when he first started resting on the seventh day, "it was really hard at first. But I just do it religiously regardless of where I am. No one can contact me. And I just read, I take notes, whatever, and it's been an unbelievable blessing."
Kirk stressed The Decalogue, which are the Ten Commandments, "says very clearly that we have to honor the Sabbath."
"I believe truly that the Sabbath is the commandment that makes the other nine possible. And so, let's think about it. If you're a parent that is growing disconnected from your child, are you having a Sabbath dinner with them with no devices on?" he asked.
"Probably not. I believe the Sabbath dinner is one of the great traditions that mankind has always had. And whether we like it or not, Jesus had plenty of Sabbath dinners. We know that.
"And also He had a Passover dinner. I'm not saying you're bound by it. But this is a thing that's in the Bible that's kind of like, 'Wow! Am I doing that? Am I taking advantage of that?'
"So I call on every Christian, if you want your life to improve, maybe you don't, maybe you want your life to remain awful and miserable, but if you want your life to improve, the happiest people, the least depressed people in the world are those that honor the Sabbath, or some form of a day of rest."
"They live longer, they're healthier, less disease and all of it. So for me it's been a great blessing, and it's a way just to totally tune out of all this kind of nonsense that's happening around you."
When traditional Christians told Kirk they were too busy to have a Sabbath rest, Kirk would respond: "I hate to pull rank on this, but if I can do it, you can do it."
"Try it for a month, try it for two months and you'll find your relationship with God and your loved ones will dramatically improve and that hardened hearty that you are worried about I think will soften very quickly."
In another interview, Kirk lamented: "I think that to our own detriment and to our own failure, we as Christians have decided to cast away resting on one of the seven days. God rested after creation, that comes before the Hebrews, it comes even before the creation of the modern world and civilization as we know it.
"And it says very clearly in the Scriptures: For six days you shall work, and the seventh day you shall rest. If you are feeling overrun by society, you might be feeling depressed or anxious, here's this one way that you might be able to improve. Turn your phone off for one day. No contact. No social media. No work. Your mental health will improve dramatically.
"That is a day to go be with God, that is a day to read your Bible and be out of the busyness and the hurriedness and just the anger and the noise of this world. Go back to God's natural rhythm. And it's made our family much tighter knit. And I could be traveling for five or six days, but if I at least get one good Sabbath with my family, it charges all back up."
He noted: "I want to be remembered for courage for my faith, that would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith."
Charlie's wife Erika Kirk was asked about the impact resting on the seventh day of the week has had on their family.
"As the wife, I have seen it transform him in a way that is so powerful that when he turns his phone off and it goes in that drawer, and he and I know that it's, you know he's all on for the family," Erika explained, adding there were "no distractions and he finally gets to reset his brain. He finally gets to breathe."
"And as a wife, there is nothing more precious than my husband's sanity when it comes to the echo chamber and everything that he's dealing with in his world. So I have seen it change him and impact our family in one of the most beautiful ways."
Rachel Cohen Booth, a senior policy correspondent for Vox who happens to be Jewish, admits she was stunned by Charlie Kirk's move toward observing a Sabbath as Jews do from from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.
"I found this surprising – he was an outspoken evangelical Christian. I also found it unexpectedly moving," Booth wrote. "This famous Christian figure shared in the precious ritual that Jews like me all over the world have practiced for centuries."
In 2008, WorldNetDaily published an in-depth report on when precisely is God's Sabbath day to be observed, titled "Deception': Christians war over worship day."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Police sometimes arrest the wrong people. Usually, the officers figure out the mistake quickly and besides a huge amount awkwardness, there's little other damage.
Not always.
And now a federal judge has allowed a Texas woman's lawsuit against officers of the Broward County sheriff's office to move forward, withdrawing from them the ordinary immunity that officers mostly have.
According to the Institute for Justice, which is handling the case on behalf of Jennifer Heath Box, "In the opinion, Judge [Melissa] Damian wrote that it violates the Fourth Amendment to put the wrong person in jail when there are 'observable differences between the individual and the person described in the warrant and there was plenty of time for officers to verify the identity of the person being arrested but the officers ignored red flags and arrested the person anyways.'"
The ruling also said the deputies are not entitled to qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that shields government officials from being held liable when they violate someone's rights unless that right is "clearly established."
The ruling rejected the county's attempt to get the case dismissed.
"This Court finds that 11th Circuit case law provides several materially similar decisions that would provide the Deputies a fair warning that their conduct was unlawful," the judge said.
Box was arrested while getting off a cruise ship in Port Everglades following a family trip on Christmas Eve 2022, and spent three days in jail, before finally being released.
The IJ said, "Police had a warrant for a different Jennifer—Jennifer Delcarmen Heath—who was 23 years younger; five inches shorter; and had a different hair color, eye color, skin tone, social security number, and home address. Deputies Peter Peraza, Monica Jean, Jasmine Hines and Anthony Thorpe all at various points overlooked the evidence on the warrant which proved they had the wrong Jennifer, but moved forward with the arrest and detention anyway."
Box said she was pleased her case will move forward.
"When I was in jail, nobody would listen to me that they had arrested the wrong person, and now it feels like somebody is finally listening," she said.
The decision "makes it clear that when police overlook obvious evidence that they're arresting the wrong person, they'll be held accountable," said IJ Attorney Jared McClain. "Anyone who looked at Jennifer should have been able to tell she was not the person police wanted."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The FBI on Thursday released images of the suspect agents want to interview regarding the assassination on Wednesday of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university event.
"We are asking for the public's help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. 1-800-CALL-FBI," the announcement said.
The FBI also said it recovered a bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
And agents are investigating whether there are any usable fingerprints on it, whether footprints found near the weapon are significant and much, much more.
The assassin remained at large Thursday, after two individuals were taken into custody, questioned, and then released on Wednesday in the hours after the shooting.
There were reports, in an X post from Steven Crowder, of Louder with Crowder, that law enforcement found an "older model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt action rifle wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the campus."
"The location of the firearm appears to match the suspects route of travel. The spent cartridge was still chambered in addition to three unspent rounds at the top fed magazine. All cartridges have engraved wording on them, expressing transgender and anti-fascist ideology," the report said.
That word comes on the heels of a long list of mass shootings perpetrated by transgender-advocating individuals.
A report in the Washington Examiner explained authorities confirmed at a news conference that the murder weapon was recovered in a wooded area near the shooting scene, a region that now has been swept and secured.
Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason also confirmed authorities have a "good video" of the shooter.
"The suspect was described as being of college age, and arrived on campus about a half hour before the murder. The assassin jumped off the roof after the shooting and fled into a nearby neighborhood," the report said.
The suspect, immediately after the shooting, was described to police as wearing jeans, a black shirt, a black mask, and a black vest, and carrying a "long rifle."
The shooter is thought to have shot Kirk from atop the Sorensen Student Center on the campus of Utah Valley University.
Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation, including the FBI.
An analyst said in the Washington Examiner report that police likely were using cell phone data, cameras, license plate readers and such.
The weapon is expected to provide some details, such as when and where it was purchased, where the ammunition was purchased and such.
The report noted, "The UVU campus will be closed for the rest of the week, and classes have been canceled for several days. Several Utah universities increased their security and/or police presence on their campuses, including the University of Utah, Brigham Young University, and Southern Utah University."
The individuals detained and released, the report said, were identified as George Zinn and Zachariah Qureshi.
Both were let go after being interrogated.
Radio traffic from Utah County Public Safety earlier in the day had a dispatcher saying: "Description on the male: All in black, long pants, black bag, aviator-style sunglasses with a long gun."
It is believed the shooter fired a weapon from a long distance, striking the founder of Turning Point USA who was speaking while seated under a tent.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The internet was flooded with prayers for conservative activist Charlie Kirk on word hitting the headlines he was shot in the neck at a Utah speaking event Wednesday.
Hundreds of pleas for God's mercy and healing consumed X postings. President Donald Trump later eulogized Kirk, confirming his death at age 31.
"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie," Trump said.
But some didn't join in the prayers.
Some demonized him, even as he lay hospitalized, fighting for his life.
It was MSNBC that took that position.
"MSNBC is ALREADY back to demonizing Charlie Kirk, just MINUTES after he was shot in Utah. Katy Tur called him 'a divisive figure, polarizing, lightning rod. What ever term you want to use.' THE LEFT IS FCKING DISGUSTING!!!!"
Actually, Tur read a statement from FBI chief Kash Patel in support of Kirk, then reverted to demonizing him.
Other memes that could be described accurately as demonic appeared. One showed a desk full of talking heads laughing uproariously.
Under the headline, "CHARLIE KIRK DEAD."
Anairuda posted a GIF of young ladies laughing and celebrating, under the statement, "They saying Charlie Kirk got shot…"
This, like one about Tur's comments, were removed from X almost immediately.
Another showed a man enthusiastically whipping his hand against his hip, with the statement, "me at the hospital watching Charlie Kirk's datascope flatline."
Someone posted an image of Kamala Harris chortling over, "I love good news," with the line, "pro-gun racist misogynist Charlie kirk dead by gun shot."
Harris, herself, actually said she was "deeply disturbed" by the shooting, sending her prayers to Kirk and his family.
"Andrea Junker" wrote, "Let's make one thing clear from the start: Charlie Kirk was the victim of a shooting in a country where he, along with other right-wing extremist influencers, have been inciting violence for years. — Kirk is neither a martyr nor a hero, he is a cause."
The antics of the commenters, drew a quick conclusion, too.
"We can never look at the far-left the same again after what they did to Charlie Kirk … These people want to m*rder us."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A federal magistrate judge released 14-time offender Decarlos Brown, Jr. just months before he murdered Ukraine refugee Iryna Zarutska on a North Carolina train because Brown made her a promise to return to court.
The Daily Mail reports: "Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes freed Decarlos Brown Jr. in January – around seven months before police say he went on to slaughter Iryna Zarutska on August 22.
"Stokes allowed Brown, 34, who is homeless and has a litany of previous arrests – including for armed robbery and assault – to walk free on a 'written promise' that he would return for his next court appearance.
"Brown was arrested on January 19 for alleged 'misuse of the 911 system,' after he dialed the emergency number while police were conducting a welfare check on him.
"During the ordeal, Brown, who is schizophrenic, told police he thought that 'man made' materials were inside his body controlling his movements."
The attention on Stokes comes as a member of Congress says he'll introduce legislation to hold judges accountable when violent repeat offenders they release commit new crimes.
"It's easy to release criminals when you're protected by an armed bailiff at all times. The rest of us aren't so lucky," said U.S. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla.
"Those 12+ judges that released Decarlos Brown Jr. should have their day in court too."
Appearing on "The Bottom Line" on Fox Business, Fine noted: "The Democrats seem willing to accept evil and to just say, 'It is what it is. We have to live with it.'
"We have a civilizational debate to have in this country, which is: Does evil exist?"
"The problem is, I have many colleagues on the left who are simply unwilling to say that people can be bad."
FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday night of the slaying of Zarutska: "The FBI has been investigating the Charlotte train murder from day one. Stay tuned."
President Donald Trump is also among those expressing outrage at Brown's freedom on the street, as he remarked:
"I have seen the horrific video of a beautiful, young Ukrainian refugee, who came to America to escape the vicious War in Ukraine, and was innocently riding the Metro in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she was brutally ambushed by a mentally deranged lunatic," Trump began in a lengthy post on Truth Social.
"The perpetrator was a well known career criminal, who had been previously arrested and released on CASHLESS BAIL in January, a total of 14 TIMES.
"What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP.
"The blood of this innocent woman can literally be seen dripping from the killer's knife, and now her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail, including Former Disgraced Governor and 'Wannabe Senator' Roy Cooper.
"North Carolina, and every State, needs LAW AND ORDER, and only Republicans will deliver it! Additionally, where is the outrage from the Mainstream Media on this horrible tragedy?
"VOTE FOR MICHAEL WHATLEY FOR UNITED STATES SENATE, HE WON'T LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN!"
Earlier Monday during a visit to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., Trump lamented about the same case: "So there are evil people. We have to be able to handle that. If we don't handle that, we don't have a country."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
President Donald Trump on Monday dove into the national furor over the North Carolina slaying of Ukraine refugee Iryna Zarutksa allegedly by a black career criminal who had been arrested 14 times, saying "her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail."
"I have seen the horrific video of a beautiful, young Ukrainian refugee, who came to America to escape the vicious War in Ukraine, and was innocently riding the Metro in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she was brutally ambushed by a mentally deranged lunatic," Trump began in a lengthy post on Truth Social.
"The perpetrator was a well known career criminal, who had been previously arrested and released on CASHLESS BAIL in January, a total of 14 TIMES.
"What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP.
"The blood of this innocent woman can literally be seen dripping from the killer's knife, and now her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail, including Former Disgraced Governor and 'Wannabe Senator' Roy Cooper.
"North Carolina, and every State, needs LAW AND ORDER, and only Republicans will deliver it! Additionally, where is the outrage from the Mainstream Media on this horrible tragedy?
"VOTE FOR MICHAEL WHATLEY FOR UNITED STATES SENATE, HE WON'T LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN!"
Earlier Monday during a visit to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., Trump lamented about the same case: "So there are evil people. We have to be able to handle that. If we don't handle that, we don't have a country."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The Institute for Justice has announced it is heading to the U.S. Supreme Court to try to overturn a local fine in Alaska of $95,000 over a banned six-pack of beer.
"The Excessive Fines Clause of the constitution was built for cases like this," said Sam Gedge, a senior attorney at the IJ. "As government agencies increasingly exploit fines and forfeitures to pad their budgets, it's vital that the Supreme Court make clear that the Excessive Fines Clause is a meaningful check on government overreach."
The penalty is coming against pilot Ken Jouppi, who had ferried passengers, groceries and more around the state for years.
On April 3, 2012, "he was ferrying a passenger and her groceries from Fairbanks to the village of Beaver," the IJ said. "But hidden in the passenger's luggage were three cases of beer—two Budweiser, one Bud Light—intended as a gift to her husband, the local postmaster."
The problem was that Beaver, in 2004, voted to ban alcohol entirely.
Before Ken could take off, state troopers searched the plane and discovered the beer. Ken was charged with a misdemeanor and convicted, the IJ said.
Then the state launched a full-blown war against him.
For years, prosecutors have also been trying to forfeit his airplane, a Cessna U206D, worth about $95,000, and just weeks ago, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that even had Ken known only about one six-pack of his passenger's beer, his argument that the fine was excessive failed.
"The Alaska Supreme Court's ruling puts it at odds with other courts around the country. Most notably, in Timbs v. Indiana—a case litigated by the Institute for Justice—the U.S. Supreme Court in 2019 held the Excessive Fines Clause applies, not just to the federal government, but to states as well," the IJ said.
That fight was over the state-demanded forfeiture of a $40,000 Land Rover over a low-level drug offense, a scheme that was found by the Supreme Court to be unconstitutionally excessive.
"This case isn't just about me or my airplane anymore," Ken said in a statement released by his lawyers. "I'm in my 80s now, and I've been fighting this for over a decade because I see it as my duty to ensure that the Bill of Rights actually means something in protecting against government overreach."