United States v. Bass
Citation
404 U.S. 336 (1971)
Facts
Stub — to be completed.
Issue
Stub — to be completed.
Holding
Stub — to be completed.
Rule
The rule of lenity requires that ambiguous criminal statutes be resolved in favor of the defendant; additionally, Congress must clearly state its intent when legislating in areas traditionally left to the states — unless Congress conveys its purpose clearly, courts will not find that it has significantly altered the federal-state balance.
Significance
Applies both the rule of lenity and a federalism clear statement rule; the statute at issue (18 U.S.C. § 1202(a)) was ambiguous as to whether it required the nexus with commerce, and ambiguity in criminal statutes must be resolved for the defendant.