It is called a 2254 petition because the statute governing federal habeas petitions challenging state court judgments is 28 USC section 2254. A 2254 petition must be filed in the federal district court that has jurisdiction over the county where the conviction occurred.The court must rule on a petition for writ of habeas corpus within 60 days after the petition is filed. Instant access to fillable Microsoft Word or PDF forms. Minimize the risk of using outdated forms and eliminate rejected fillings.