6.3Rule of Lenity

“‘The “rule of lenity” provides that courts should mitigate punishment when the punishment in a criminal statute is unclear[]’” but “does not apply when construing the Public Health Code because the Legislature mandated in MCL 333.1111(2) that the code’s provisions are to be ‘liberally construed for the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of the people of this state.’” People v Johnson (Barbara), 302 Mich App 450, 462 (2013), quoting People v Denio, 454 Mich 691, 699 (1997).