The procedure for filing a petition for a writ of habeas corpus is spelled out in the CPLR Article 70. Petition for Relief From a Conviction or Sentence By a Person in State Custody (Petition Under 28 U. S. C. § 2254 for a Writ of Habeas Corpus).This Chapter discusses how the writ of habeas corpus is applied in three states: Florida, New York, and Michigan. First, a U.S.C. § 2254 allows us to file a petition for Habeas Corpus when the client is in custody under sentence of a state court and is in a state prison. A writ of habeas corpus is used to bring a prisoner or other detainee (e.g. 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. Instructions: This affidavit must be used for service of a Summons and. Under CPLR 7801 et seq. The law in the area is an intricate weave of statute and case law. During Reconstruction, Congress sought to protect Union sympathizers and freedmen whose rights were threatened in the South.