To get a writ of habeas corpus, you must file a petition for a civil (not criminal) proceeding in either state or federal court. Contact an award-winning Writ of Habeas Corpus lawyer today.Most court forms are fillable PDFs. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view, fill out, or print them. Habeas Corpus, in the Federal Court, is a petition that claims that you are being detained against your US constitutional rights. This manual explains how someone without a lawyer can file a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the California state courts. All contentions in support of a petition for a writ of certiorari shall be set out in the body of the petition, as provided in subparagraph 1(h) of this Rule. The Clerk will not file any petition for a writ of certiorari that is jurisdictionally out of time. Documents should be downloaded, filled out, signed and printed in order to file with the Clerk's Office. Appeals refused his PDR on his out-of-time appeal to file his second state habeas application.