Federal Habeas Corpus

Previous edition, 2nd, published in 1994.

This work is a comprehensive treatment of the writ of habeas corpus in the federal courts for the practitioner.

Federal habeas corpus is a procedure under which a federal court may review the legality of an individual's incarceration. It is most often the stage of the criminal appellate process that follows direct appeal and any available state collateral review. The law in the area is an intricate weave of statute and case law. Current federal law operates under the premise that with rare exceptions prisoners challenging the legality of the procedures by which they were tried or sentenced get "one bite of the apple." Relief for state prisoners is only available if the state courts have ignored or rejected their valid claims, and there are strict time limits within which they may petition the federal courts for relief. Moreover, a prisoner relying upon a novel interpretation of law must succeed on direct appeal; federal habeas review may not be used to establish or claim the benefits of a "new rule." Expedited federal habeas procedures are available in the case of state death row inmates if the state has provided an approved level of appointed counsel. The Supreme Court has held that Congress enjoys considerable authority to limit, but not to extinguish, access to the writ. This report is available in an abridged version as CRS Report RS22432, "Federal Habeas Corpus: An Abridged Sketch," by Charles Doyle.

This book concentrates on federal court authority to entertain habeas corpus petitions filed by state prisoners who claim that they were convicted or sentenced in violation of their federal constitutional rights. Lower federal courts have no appellate jurisdiction to review state court judgments in criminal cases. Nevertheless, federal courts revisit state convictions and sentences indirectly when they adjudicate federal claims in habeas corpus proceedings. Federal court authority under this heading has theoretical implications for the federal system, as well as practical significance for the implementation of constitutional standards in criminal cases, particularly in capital cases.

Habeas corpus law changed dramatically after Congress passed the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) in 1996. This new book provides a comprehensive view of the latest developments in the field and will continue to be supplemented as Congress passes new legislation and as courts try to make sense of how that legislation affects habeas law.After providing a background on the history of habeas corpus and an overview of common habeas corpus claims, the book examines subject matter jurisdiction, habeas corpus litigation, clemency, stays of execution, and innocence. The book concludes by examining the future of habeas corpus litigation.While this book is primarily intended for law students, it will be useful for attorneys specializing in post-conviction and habeas work. It will also be a valuable addition to the libraries of appellate public defenders across the country.

Contents: (1) Intro.; (2) Early Developments in the Detention and Trial of Enemy Combatants Captured in the ¿War on Terror¿: Rasul v. Bush; Combatant Status Review Tribunals; (3) Pre-Boumediene v. Bush Court Challenges to the Detention Policy: Khalid v. Bush; In re Guantanamo Detainee Cases; Hamdan v. Rumsfeld; Al-Marri; (4) Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 (DTA); (5) The Mil. Comm. Act of 2006 (MCA): Provisions Affecting Court Jurisdiction; Provisions Re: the Geneva Conventions; (6) Post-MCA Issues and Developments: Possible Application to U.S. Citizens; DTA Challenges to Detention; (7) Boumediene v. Bush: Constitutional Right to Habeas; Adequacy of Habeas Corpus Substitute; Implications of Boumediene; (8) Exec. Order to Close Guantanamo and Halt Mil. Commission Proceed.; (9) Redefining U.S. Detention Authority; (10) Constitutional Considerations and Options for Congress; Scope of Challenges; Congressional Authority over Fed. Courts; Separation of Powers Issues; (11) Conclusion: Nat. Def. Author. Provisions; Habeas Corpus Amend.; Bills to Regulate Detention. Figures.

Previous edition, 2nd, published in 1994.