In fact, "habeas corpus" is Latin for "you have the body. Habeas Corpus, in the Federal Court, is a petition that claims that you are being detained against your US constitutional rights.Translated from Latin it means "show me the body. A Writ of Habeas Corpus is a civil proceeding that is available in both State and Federal Court to challenge the legality of imprisonment. Habeas corpus is Latin for "that you have the body" or "show me the body," and functions as legal shorthand from a judge to a corrections officer. Instructions: This affidavit must be used for service of a Summons and. Habeas Corpus - "You have the body," the name given a variety of writs whose object is to bring a person before a court or judge. The law in the area is an intricate weave of statute and case law. LAW"). 3. Other ways of attacking your conviction include filing an appeal, or a state or federal writ of habeas corpus. The NhRP files a petition for a common law writ of habeas corpus in the New York Supreme Court, Orleans County.