Federal habeas is available only to redress noncompliance with federal law. Defendant complained trial court considered non-statutory aggravating factors.Federal habeas corpus allows you to go into Federal court with a claim that your constitutional rights were violated. What Is Habeas Corpus? Habeas corpus is a kind of petition that you can file in federal court to claim that your imprisonment violates federal law. Federal habeas corpus is a procedure under which a federal court may review the legality of an individual's incarceration. What Is Habeas Corpus? Habeas corpus is a kind of petition that you can file in federal court to claim that your imprisonment violates federal law. It allows individuals to challenge their detention in a court of law and provides a check on the executive branch's power. The law in the area is an intricate weave of statute and case law.