18. What Is A Writ Of Habeas Corpus And When Can It Be Suspended In Virginia
Description
Form popularity
FAQ
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.
The Suspension Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 9, Clause 2), states: “The Privileges of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.” Although the Constitution does not specifically create the right to habeas corpus ...
—The writ of habeas data is a remedy available to any person whose right to privacy in life, liberty or security is violated or threatened by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity engaged in the gathering, collecting or storing of data or information ...
Under Virginia Code § 8.01-654, a prisoner seeking habeas relief in the state on a conviction or sentence can file the petition either in the Supreme Court of Virginia, which has original jurisdiction to hear habeas writs, or in the circuit court where the prisoner was convicted and sentenced.
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.
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).
Corpus is a Latin word for "body" which can have several meanings, including referring to the body of the prisoner (as in habeas corpus) in the context of criminal law. In the context of trust law corpus means the property or premises of a trust for which the trustee is responsible.
Explanation: A judge will grant a writ of habeas corpus in circumstances where a detained individual challenges the legality of their imprisonment. This legal procedure, which translates to "you have the body," requires state or federal authorities to demonstrate a lawful cause for the detention.
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.
Typically, prisoners use it after their challenge to the court of appeals fails. Habeas corpus often serves as a last resort for inmates who insist that the government unjustly imprisoned them.
