The modern avoidance canon tells the court to choose a different interpretation when another interpretation merely raises constitutional doubts.[35][36] The avoidance canon was discussed in Bond v. United States when the defendant placed toxic chemicals on frequently touched surfaces of a friend.[37] The statute in question made using a chemical weapon a crime however, the separation of power between states and the federal government would be infringed upon if the Supreme Court interpreted the statute to extend to local crimes.[38] Therefore, the Court utilized the Canon of Constitutional Avoidance and decided to “read the statute more narrowly, to exclude the defendant’s conduct.”[39] Avoiding absurdity The legislature did not intend an absurd or manifestly unjust result.[40][41]