The term habeas corpus comes from the Latin meaning "that you have the body" of the detainee brought before the court or tribunal. Federal habeas corpus is a procedure under which a federal court may review the legality of an individual's incarceration.Habeas Corpus, in the Federal Court, is a petition that claims that you are being detained against your US constitutional rights. This Guidebook is intended to be an informative and practical resource for understanding the basic procedures of the Court. Translated from Latin it means "show me the body. In fact, "habeas corpus" is Latin for "you have the body. A writ of habeas corpus is used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine if the person's imprisonment or detention is lawful. A federal petition for habeas corpus is filed after a conviction and sentence in state court, and after appeals in state court. In the US system, federal courts can use the writ of habeas corpus to determine if a state's detention of a prisoner is valid. Minnesota Statutes Chapter 589, Habeas Corpus; Index topic Habeas Corpus.