An application for a Writ of Habeas Corpus is filed when a person seeks relief from unlawful detention or imprisonment. The habeas corpus petition must be typewritten or legibly handwritten.The state courts acted reasonably in their ad- judication of the case. Specifically, the amendment would provide: An application for a writ of habeas corpus. Harris's petition for writ of habeas corpus (the "Petition"). Though subject to different rules, incarcerated people in both state or federal custody may petition for a federal writ of habeas corpus. What Is Habeas Corpus? "The language of Congress, the history of the writ, the decisions of this Court, all make clear that the power of inquiry on federal habeas corpus is plenary.". Americans have been reluctant to tamper with the writ of habeas corpus even in the Nation's darkest hours. It is one of the fundamental liberties mentioned in the body of the United States Constitution.