A Missouri 2241 Habeas Corpus Petition is a legal document filed in a federal district court on behalf of a prisoner in a state prison challenging the legality of his or her confinement. The petition typically alleges that the confinement is in violation of the prisoner's constitutional rights. The petition seeks relief from the court in the form of an order that the prisoner be released unless the state can show good cause for the continued detention. Generally, there are two types of Missouri 2241 Habeas Corpus Petitions: a direct petition and a successive petition. A direct petition is filed in the district court in the same district where the state prison is located. A successive petition is filed in the district court of a different district from the state prison or in the federal appellate court, and requests permission to file the petition. This type of petition is typically used when the petitioner has already filed a direct petition and the court denied relief.