Begay v. United States

*155Justice Alito, with whom Justice Souter and Justice Thomas join,

dissenting.

The statutory provision at issue in this ease — the so-called “residual clause” of 18 U. S. C. § 924(e)(2)(B)(ii) — calls out for legislative clarification, and I am sympathetic to the result produced by the Court’s attempt to craft a narrowing construction of this provision. Unfortunately, the Court’s interpretation simply cannot be reconciled with the statutory text, and I therefore respectfully dissent.

In September 2004, after a night of heavy drinking, petitioner pointed a rifle at his aunt and threatened to shoot…