In your petition, clearly explain why you are being held illegally. The absence of counsel in post-conviction hearings stems, in the first in- stance, from the financial inability of the vast majority of prisoners to employ.All forms below with a "fillable icon" are documents that you can open "on-line", fill in the appropriate fields and then print on your printer. As the previous attorney points out, your husband certainly always has the right to represent himself, pro se, and to file a petition as such. Except in matters of emergency, the following procedures are followed in proceedings for a writ of habeas corpus: (a) Petitioner with funds. A habeas petition is used when one is contesting the validity of their sentence or conviction. Contact our criminal defense lawyers in Illinois for a habeas corpus writ (312) 248-7101. As an incarcerated person. The § 2254 allows us to bring U.S. Constitutional Issues into a Federal Court (U. Generally, one cannot file a writ of habeas corpus unless they show the government has detained them.