Federal habeas corpus is a procedure under which a federal court may review the legality of an individual's incarceration. The Writ of Habeas Corpus demands that requires a prisoner must go before the court to determine if there is lawful authority to detain the prisoner.The Habeas Corpus Act of 1867 is an act of Congress that significantly expanded the jurisdiction of federal courts to issue writs of habeas corpus. Habeas corpus is a procedural device to bring child custody matters before a court. Forthcoming in the Arizona Law Review,. File your petition in the Phoenix Division. The federal habeas corpus statute requires that the petitioner exhaust all avenues of relief open to him in the state courts before bringing a federal action. File your petition in the Phoenix Division. The law directed federal judges to defer to the rulings of state court judges on constitutional and other issues unless the rulings were "unreasonable. During Reconstruction, Congress sought to protect Union sympathizers and freedmen whose rights were threatened in the South.
