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Nedry McLean v. United States

IFP petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, No. 22-13139 · judgment October 21, 2025


Certiorari denied · March 2, 2026

Questions presented

Petitioner’s case presents the following important constitutional questions:

  1. Whether the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA) exceeds Congress’s Article I powers, particularly where the MDLEA is extended to the prosecution of a foreign citizen whose offense had no nexus to the United States?

  2. Whether Congress exceeded its authority under the Felonies Clause by defining a “vessel without nationality” to include vessels that are not stateless under international law?

  3. Whether the prosecution under the MDLEA of a foreign citizen whose offense had no nexus to the United States, violates the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment?

Counsel of record

For petitioner
David Christopher Hardy
The Hardy Law Firm, P.A.

For respondent
D. John Sauer
Solicitor General

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference

Proceedings

  1. Mar 02 2026
    Petition DENIED.
  2. Feb 12 2026
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/27/2026.
  3. Feb 09 2026
    Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
  4. Jan 14 2026
    Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due March 4, 2026)