A writ of habeas corpus is used to bring a prisoner or other detainee (e.g. institutionalized mental patient) before the court to determine if the person's imprisonment or detention is lawful. A habeas petition proceeds as a civil action against the State agent (usually a warden) who holds the defendant in custody.
A pretrial writ of habeas corpus is filed before trial. Because it's filed before you've even been convicted, there are a limited number of arguments that can be raised in a pretrial writ of habeas corpus. One claim is that your bond is unreasonably high.
The right to file a petition for writ of habeas corpus is guaranteed by the California constitution. In order to be eligible to petition for such relief, the petitioner must be “in custody,” either actually or constructively.
The court must rule on a petition for writ of habeas corpus within 60 days after the petition is filed. (B) If the court fails to rule on the petition within 60 days of its filing, the petitioner may file a notice and request for ruling.
The "Great Writ" of habeas corpus is a fundamental right in the Constitution that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment. Translated from Latin it means "show me the body." Habeas corpus has historically been an important instrument to safeguard individual freedom against arbitrary executive power.
You can file it only after exhausting all criminal appeals, and the petition must show your detention violates the law or your constitutional rights as per Penal Code 1473. If your habeas corpus petition is granted, the court may order your release, reduced charges, a new trial, or a modified sentence.
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.
The writ of habeas corpus is the great remedy of the citizen or subject against arbitrary or illegal imprisonment; it is the mode by which the judicial power speedily and effectually protects the personal liberty of every individual, and repels the injustice of unconstitutional laws and despotic governments.