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. In the criminal context, it might be an order of conviction or an order including or excluding evidence at some point in the proceeding.The "Great Writ" of habeas corpus is a fundamental right in the Constitution that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment. The original Complaint must be filed with the Civil Intake Section located on the 3rd floor of the Fairfax County Courthouse. Latin, meaning "you have the body. Federal habeas corpus is a procedure under which a federal court may review the legality of an individual's incarceration. The law in the area is an intricate weave of statute and case law. The authoritative version of the procedures will always be considered what is live online. Procedures Categories. The Judicial Conference of Virginia for District Court Judges was organized to consider means of improving the administration of justice in the district courts.