By petitioning for a writ, you are asking the court to determine whether your conviction or sentence is illegal. A writ of habeas corpus can be very powerful because if the court accepts your argument, the court can order your immediate release, a new trial, or a new sentencing hearing.
For example, if an individual was convicted on the basis that their skin color matched that of the perpetrator ing to eyewitnesses, but there is no other evidence against them, then the individual can appeal for habeas corpus in order to be freed from imprisonment.
If your petition is rejected, then your case moves to the California Court of Appeal, and possibly the California Supreme Court. You will file a Habeas Corpus petition in California if you are arguing that your conviction violated a state law, or that a California law is unconstitutional.
Ask the court for a writ of habeas corpus (a court order telling a public official, like a prison warden, to bring you to the court and show a legal reason for holding you) to challenge your criminal conviction or commitment to another facility or the conditions under which you are being held.
Article I, Section 9, Clause 2: The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.
The court must rule on a petition for writ of habeas corpus within 60 days after the petition is filed.
Typical examples where a court has granted a habeas corpus petition include claims of new evidence discovered in the case, ineffective assistance of counsel, prosecutorial misconduct, incompetence to stand trial, and challenging conditions of confinement.
State every ground (reason) that supports your claim that you are being held in violation of the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States. Attach additional pages if you have more than four grounds. State the facts supporting each ground. Any legal arguments must be submitted in a separate memorandum.
Common arguments for granting a habeas corpus petition include: You had incompetent legal counsel or a competent attorney was not provided. You were convicted under an unconstitutional law; You were convicted under a law that has since been changed, so what you did is no longer considered a crime;
For example, if an individual was convicted on the basis that their skin color matched that of the perpetrator ing to eyewitnesses, but there is no other evidence against them, then the individual can appeal for habeas corpus in order to be freed from imprisonment.