A writ of habeas corpus is a judicial mandate to a prison official, usually the warden, ordering that an inmate be brought to the court. You should use this form if.A Writ of Habeas Corpus is a civil proceeding that is available in both State and Federal Court to challenge the legality of imprisonment. To get a writ of habeas corpus, you must file a petition for a civil (not criminal) proceeding in either state or federal court. Habeas Corpus, in the Federal Court, is a petition that claims that you are being detained against your US constitutional rights. Writ of Habeas Corpus. Because the purpose of the petition is to gain the release of an unlawfully detained person, the reasons that justify the writ are narrowly defined. The habeas corpus remedy offers a particularly effective means for obtaining a prompt custody determination…. LAW"). 3. Other ways of attacking your conviction include filing an appeal, or a state or federal writ of habeas corpus. 70 (Writ of Habeas Corpus). Art.