The Maryland Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (Under 28 USC 2254) is a legal document filed by a person in custody (the petitioner) who believes that their rights are being denied, and they are being unlawfully held. It is a formal request to the court for an order requiring the custodian to release the petitioner from custody and allow them to be heard by a court of law. The Writ of Habeas Corpus is a legal tool used to challenge the legality of a person's detention, usually by a state. There are two types of Maryland Petition For Writ of Habeas Corpus (Under 28 USC 2254): the original areas petition and the successive areas petition. The original areas petition is a request to the court for an order to release the petitioner from custody. The successive areas petition is a request to the court to reconsider a prior areas petition that was denied.