To use this form, you must be a person who is or will be serving a sentence under a judgment against you in a state court. A habeas corpus petition attacking a criminal conviction or sentence shall be filed within two years from the date of final judgment in the trial court.These instructions and forms are provided to those who seek to petition the Supreme. The current study examines habeas corpus in the criminal context. Staff focused primarily on three areas of relevant law, including the Virginia statutes. 1. The petition for writ of habeas corpus form is designed to help you prepare a petition seeking relief pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. The federal habeas petition has to be filed in the United States District Court that sits in the District covering the circuit court of conviction and sentence. The law in the area is an intricate weave of statute and case law. The § 2254 allows us to bring U.S. Constitutional Issues into a Federal Court (U. Please note that the term, "federal habeas corpus," refers to habeas corpus in a federal court.