A writ of habeas corpus is another means to fighting the legality of one's incarceration or proving actual innocence. A writ of habeas corpus refers to a court order that is issued to either an agency or a person who is holding someone in custody.In Texas, the state writ of habeas corpus is a legal mechanism that allows individuals to challenge their detention or imprisonment. An application for a writ of habeas corpus asks a court to overturn your conviction because of a state or federal constitutional violation. The Latin phrase "habeas corpus" means "you shall have the body". This petition, called a writ of Habeas Corpus, is filed in Federal Court (US District Court ) whether you are serving time in a federal or state prison. The law in the area is an intricate weave of statute and case law. This means that you can only file a federal habeas petition if you have already lost your state direct appeal and your state post-conviction proceedings. The U.S. Supreme Court interprets the Constitution, which means it defines constitutional rights and violations in the cases it decides. - San Antonio 2002, pet.