Contents. Introduction, 1. Initiation of the Case, 2.Habeas corpus is a kind of petition that you can file in federal court to claim that your imprisonment violates federal law. All Illinois Courts must accept these forms. A 2254 petition must be filed in the federal district court that has jurisdiction over the county where the conviction occurred. Smith's conviction became final on May 18, 1998, and he therefore had until May 18, 1999 to file his petition for federal habeas corpus. Understood together, the Younger doctrine, federal habeas corpus, and the PreiserHeck case line form a unified framework. On June 23, 2003, Petitioner filed the instant Motion for habeas corpus relief, along with a set of exhibits, in the Northern District of Illinois.