The Habeas Corpus Act of 1867 is an act of Congress that significantly expanded the jurisdiction of federal courts to issue writs of habeas corpus. The procedure for filing a petition for a writ of habeas corpus is spelled out in the CPLR Article 70.Application for a summons DC-430 File with a verified complaint to request the court to issue a summons if you do not have an attorney. The Habeas Corpus Act of 1867 expanded the authority of federal courts to issue writs of habeas corpus for state prisoners. 1 Accordingly, the habeas. Habeas Corpus, in the Federal Court, is a petition that claims that you are being detained against your US constitutional rights. 417, 419 (1867) (illustrating habeas corpus writ acts upon custodian instead of upon prisoner). 30. The law in the area is an intricate weave of statute and case law. The Habeas Corpus petition claims the arrest, sentence, or trial violated constitutional law, making imprisonment unlawful. Leon granted the Government's motion to dismiss, holding that the detainees had no rights that could be vindicated in a habeas corpus action.