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, in the Federal Court, is a petition that claims that you are being detained against your US constitutional rights.To get a writ of habeas corpus, you must file a petition for a civil (not criminal) proceeding in either state or federal court. A writ of habeas corpus is used to bring a prisoner or other detainee (e.g. The "Great Writ" of habeas corpus is a fundamental right in the Constitution that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment. A petition brought under this article must be filed in the superior court of the county in which the petitioner is being detained. It is most often the stage of the criminal appellate process that follows direct appeal and any available state collateral review. Latin, meaning "you have the body. Case file: the court file containing papers submitted in a case. Counsel or file with the court the entry of his appearance in the pending matter.