A Writ of Habeas Corpus is a civil proceeding that is available in both State and Federal Court to challenge the legality of imprisonment. An "information" and an "indictment" are both considered formal charges.See JLM, Appendix V: Definitions of Words Used in the JLM. The writ of habeas corpus is a legal order requiring a person holding another person to produce that individual before a court or judge. Habeas corpus protects an arrested individual from facing unlawful detention without trial. Habeas Corpus, in the Federal Court, is a petition that claims that you are being detained against your US constitutional rights. The Latin phrase habeas corpus translates to "you have the body. The law in the area is an intricate weave of statute and case law. Here the petitioner hoped to benefit from a subsequent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. The "Great Writ" of habeas corpus is a fundamental right in the Constitution that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment.