Instructions and form for filing a petition for writ of habeas corpus under 28 USC § 2254. State criminal convictions are challenged using 28 U.S.C. § 2254 forms.If you choose to represent yourself, then you must also follow the same statutes and Maryland Rules for your type of case that an attorney must follow. This guide is for people who want to file a habeas lawsuit but do not have an attorney to help them do so. This article provides briefly summarizes the process for appealing a civil case from the circuit court to the Appellate Court. In most cases, you are not entitled to a lawyer and have to convince the court to give you one. The Writ of Habeas Corpus is one of the oldest principles of criminal law in the United States with a rich history dating back to medieval times. The law in the area is an intricate weave of statute and case law. The most common example is when a case was appealed already from the District Court to the circuit court. Generally, anyone detained or imprisoned can file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in the United States.