Local Rule of Civil Procedure (LRCiv) 3.5(a) provides that habeas corpus petitions must be filed on the courtapproved form. 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.Special Writs, Orders to Show Cause, and Habeas Corpus. A Writ of Habeas Corpus is a motion which is filed most frequently to ensure that a Defendant's imprisonment or detention is not illegal. How to fill out the Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus Instructions? If that ruling is not satisfactory, the Defendant can then appeal to the next higher court. The § 2254 allows us to bring U.S. Constitutional Issues into a Federal Court (U. STEP 4: Fill out the "Civil Complaint" form. 2d 666, 676, the Supreme Court held that death row prisoners can request counsel before filing a habeas petition and that the court should appoint such counsel. To file a habeas corpus petition, you must prepare a written request to a court or judge, known as a writ of habeas corpus.