Habeas corpus is a Latin legal phrase meaning “you have the body.”
A writ of habeas corpus generally is a judicial order forcing law enforcement authorities to produce a prisoner they are holding and to justify the prisoner’s continued confinement.
Federal judges receive petitions for a writ of habeas corpus from state prison inmates who say their state prosecutions violated federally protected rights in some way.
[ Glossary ]
Last Modified: 09/15/2018