Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus. To get a writ of habeas corpus, you must file a petition for a civil (not criminal) proceeding in either state or federal court.The Memorandum is to provide legal support for your Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus and provides required personal information in addition to the form. Federal habeas corpus is a procedure under which a federal court may review the legality of an individual's incarceration. Habeas corpus is a kind of petition that you can file in federal court to claim that your imprisonment violates federal law. Explain the grounds for the petition: You will need to explain why you are seeking a writ of habeas corpus. F. Filing of the petition. Explain the grounds for the petition: You will need to explain why you are seeking a writ of habeas corpus. Successive motions are not permitted under the statute unless based on newly discovered evidence or a new rule of constitutional law. If you are referring to seeking a federal writ of habeas corpus, usually the answer is appeal then writ.