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.
Texas Family Code - FAM § 157.371. Jurisdiction. (a) The relator may file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in either the court of continuing, exclusive jurisdiction or in a court with jurisdiction to issue a writ of habeas corpus in the county in which the child is found.
A Writ of Habeas Corpus is one of the primary ways of obtaining a client's freedom based on his or her actual innocence. Actual innocence Writs of Habeas Corpus can include witness statements, affidavits, and other external evidence that shows how the client has been wrongfully convicted.
A writ of habeas corpus orders the custodian of an individual in custody to produce the individual before the court to make an inquiry concerning his or her detention, to appear for prosecution (ad prosequendum) or to appear to testify (ad testificandum).
A writ “is the remedy to be used when any person is restrained in his liberty.” Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 11.01. The purpose of a Writ of Habeas Corpus is for the court to determine whether it has lawfully convicted and sentenced a person.
Habeas corpus refers to “a writ employed to bring a person before a court, most frequently to ensure that the person's imprisonment or detention is not illegal.” It is also “may be used to obtain judicial review of (1) the regularity of the extradition process, (2) the right to or amount of bail, or (3) the ...
(b) An application for writ of habeas corpus filed after final conviction in a felony case, other than a case in which the death penalty is imposed, must be filed with the clerk of the court in which the conviction being challenged was obtained, and the clerk shall assign the application to that court.
The habeas petition must be in writing and signed and verified either by the petitioner seeking relief or by someone acting on his or her behalf. The petition must name the custodian as the respondent and state the facts concerning the applicant's custody and include the legal basis for the request.
Art. 11.05. BY WHOM WRIT MAY BE ISSUED. The court of criminal appeals, the district courts, the county courts, or any judge of those courts may issue the writ of habeas corpus, and it is their duty, on proper application, to issue the writ under the rules prescribed by law.