Cite as: 524 U. S. 308 (1998)
Opinion of the Court
congressional intent. Congress, believing that existing state laws provided less than positive assurance that a repeat violent offender no longer poses an unacceptable risk of dangerousness, intended to keep guns away from all offenders who might cause harm, even if they were not deemed dangerous by the States. Dickerson v. New Banner Institute, Inc., 460 U. S. 103, 119, 120. To provide the missing assurance, federal law must reach primary conduct not covered by state law. The fact that state law determines the restoration of civil rights does not mean that state law also controls the unless clause: As to weapons possession, the Federal Government has an interest in a single, national, protective policy, broader than required by state law. The rule of lenity does not apply here, since petitioner relies on an implausible reading of the congressional purpose. See United States v. Shabani, 513 U. S. 10, 17. Pp. 312-317.
Affirmed.
Kennedy, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Rehnquist, C. J., and Stevens, OTMConnor, Ginsburg, and Breyer, JJ., joined. Thomas, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Scalia and Souter, JJ., joined, post, p. 317.
Owen S. Walker argued the cause for petitioner. With him on the briefs was Bjorn R. Lange.
Jonathan E. Nuechterlein argued the cause for the United States. On the brief were Solicitor General Waxman, Acting Assistant Attorney General Keeney, Deputy Solicitor General Dreeben, Edward C. DuMont, and Nina Goodman.
Justice Kennedy delivered the opinion of the Court. Under federal law, a person convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison may not possess any firearm. 18 U. S. C. § 922(g)(1). If he has three violent felony convictions and violates the statute, he must receive an enhanced sentence. § 924(e). A previous conviction is a predicate for neither the substantive offense nor the sentence enhancement if the offender has had his civil rights restored, "unless such . . . restoration of civil rights expressly provides that the person may not . . . possess . . . firearms." § 921(a)(20). This is the so-called "unless clause" we now must interpret. As the ellipses suggest, the statute is more
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