Habeas Corpus is a Latin word meaning which literally means 'to have the body of'. It is an order issued by the court to a person who has detained another person, to produce the body of the latter before it. The court then examines the cause and legality of detention. Further Reading: Types of Writs.
(A) On filing, the clerk of the court must immediately deliver the petition to the presiding judge or his or her designee. The court must rule on a petition for writ of habeas corpus within 60 days after the petition is filed.
The petitioner, typically through an attorney, files a writ of habeas corpus to the relevant court, usually the California Superior Court, and the arguments as to why the petitioner has been illegally detained. The petitioner's lawyer files a writ of habeas corpus to explain why they have been illegally detained.
The rules for filing a federal writ of habeas corpus are codified in 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241-2256. Generally, one cannot file a writ of habeas corpus unless they show the government has detained them. State prisoners cannot file a federal writ unless they exhaust all available state remedies.
Preparation and Filing of the Petition: The petitioner must file a verified petition in court, stating the circumstances of the detention and requesting the issuance of the writ.
The time limit for filing a common law writ petition is controlled by the doctrine of laches, usually interpreted as 60 days from the date of the ruling. (Peterson v. Superior Court (1982) 31 Cal.
Thus, to effectively file a writ of habeas corpus in California state court, an inmate must have been convicted and either serving a sentence of incarceration, probation or parole. They must have also filed a direct appeal to the appellate court and then to the California Supreme Court.
The Writ of Habeas Corpus As per definition, it is a law stating that an individual cannot be imprisoned or held in custody inside a prison cell unless he/she has first been brought before a court of law, which decides whether or not it is legal for the person to be kept in prison.
Thus, to effectively file a writ of habeas corpus in California state court, an inmate must have been convicted and either serving a sentence of incarceration, probation or parole. They must have also filed a direct appeal to the appellate court and then to the California Supreme Court.