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Complex Federal Litigation & Prison Legal Services Clinics

This page consists mainly of Habeas Corpus, Post-conviction Relief, and PLRA resources relevant to our clinics' work.


Connecticut Statutes and Forms | Federal Statutes and Forms | Treatises, Encyclopedias, Books

PLRA |  Prison Health Care | Internet Resources

 

From Black's Law Dictionary (7th Ed.):

Habeas Corpus - (Latin: that you have the body) - A writ employed to bring a person before a court, most frequently to ensure that the party's imprisonment or detention is not illegal. In addition to being used to test the legality of an arrest or commitment, the writ may be used to obtain review of (1) the regularity of extradition process, (2) the right to or amount of bail, or (3) the jurisdiction of a court that has imposed a criminal sentence.

Postconviction-relief proceeding - A state or federal procedure for a prisoner to request a court to vacate or correct a conviction or sentence.

PLRA - Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995 - Pub. L. No. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321, H.R. 3019

 

 

CONNECTICUT STATUTES AND FORMS

CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUTES - KFC 3630 1958 .A43 - L3 Reading Room
Westlaw | Lexis | CGS - from the CT General Assembly

  • C.G.S.A. §52-466 Application for writ of habeas corpus. Service. Return.
  • C.G.S.A. §52-467 Punishment for refusal to obey writ or accept copy
  • C.G.S.A. §52-468 Commitment for contempt; application for discharge
  • C.G.S.A. §52-469 Repealed
  • C.G.S.A. §52-470 Summary disposal of the case. Appeal by person convicted of crime
  • C.G.S.A. §51-186 Hearing at the Connecticut Correctional Institution, Somers

CONNECTICUT PRACTICE BOOK - KFC 3680 .C65 - L3 Reading Room
Connecticut Practice Book - online from the State of CT Judicial Branch

  • 1A §23-22 The petition
  • 1A §23-23 Return of noncomplying petition
  • 1A §23-24 Preliminary consideration of judicial authority
  • 1A §23-25 Waiver of filing fees and costs of service
  • 1A §23-26 Appointment of counsel
  • 1A §23-27 Venue for habeas corpus
  • 1A §23-28 Transfer of habeas corpus
  • 1A §23-29 Dismissal
  • 1A §23-30 The return
  • 1A §23-31 Reply to the return
  • 1A §23-32 Amendments
  • 1A §23-33 Request for a more specific statement
  • 1A §23-34 Summary procedures for habeas corpus petitions
  • 1A §23-35 Schedule for filing pleadings
  • 1A §23-36 The expanded record
  • 1A §23-37 Summary judgment in habeas corpus
  • 1A §23-38 Discovery in habeas corpus
  • 1A §23-39 Depositions in habeas corpus
  • 1A §23-40 Court appearance in habeas corpus
  • 1A §23-41 Motion for leave to withdraw appearance of appointed counsel
  • 1A §23-42 Judicial action on motion for permission to withdraw appearance

CONNECTICUT PRACTICE SERIES - KFC 3680 .C65 - L3 Reading Room - Civil Practice Forms

  • 3 Form 604.22 Habeas corpus by prisoner
  • 3 Form 604.22-A Statement describing transcript ordered
  • 3 Form 604.22-B Notice of transcript receipt
  • 3 Form 604.22-C Amended petition
  • 3 Form 604.22-D Motion for leave of court to amend petition
  • 3 Form 604.22-E Notice that petition will be be amended
  • 3 Form 604.23 Habeas corpus by friend

*Note:  There are many other Connecticut practice materials and other resources on Lexis and Westlaw.  Add the "Connecticut" tab to easily explore them.

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS MATERIALS (LSO Library)

OTHER

  • Wilkes, Jr., Donald E. (1996). State Postconviction Remedies and Relief: With Forms - KF9690 .Z95 W55 - L4

 

 

FEDERAL STATUTES AND FORMS

UNITED STATES CODE - GPO Access | KF62 - L3 Reading Room
UNITED STATES CODE ANNOTATED - Westlaw | KF62.5 .W45 - L3 Reading Room
UNITED STATES CODE SERVICE - Lexis | KF62.5 .L38 - L3 Reading Room

  • 28 U.S.C. §1446 Procedure for removal (from state to federal court)
  • 28 U.S.C. §2241 Power to grant writ
  • 28 U.S.C. §2242 Application
  • 28 U.S.C. §2243 Issuance of writ; return; hearing; decision
  • 28 U.S.C. §2244 Finality of determination
  • 28 U.S.C. §2245 Certificate of trial judge admissible in evidence
  • 28 U.S.C. §2246 Evidence; depositions; affidavits
  • 28 U.S.C. §2247 Documentary evidence
  • 28 U.S.C. §2248 Return or answer; conclusiveness
  • 28 U.S.C. §2249 Certified copies of indictment, plea and judgment; duty of respondent
  • 28 U.S.C. §2250 Indigent petitioner entitled to documents without cost
  • 28 U.S.C. §2251 Stay of state court proceedings
  • 28 U.S.C. §2252 Notice
  • 28 U.S.C. §2253 Appeal
  • 28 U.S.C. §2254 State custody, remedies in federal court
  • 28 U.S.C. §2255 Federal custody; remedies on motion attacking sentence

RULES GOVERNING §2255 PROCEEDINGS and APPENDIX OF FORMS
(the Rules and Appendix immediately follow 28 U.S.C. §2255)
Westlaw | Lexis

  • Rule 1. Scope of rules
  • Rule 2. Motion
  • Rule 3. Filing motion
  • Rule 4. Preliminary consideration by judge
  • Rule 5. Answers; contents
  • Rule 6. Discovery
  • Rule 7. Expansion of record
  • Rule 8. Evidentiary hearing
  • Rule 9. Delayed or successive motions
  • Rule 10. Powers of magistrates
  • Rule 11. Time for appeal
  • Rule 12. Federal rules of criminal and civil procedure; extent of applicability
  • Model form for §2255 motion

FEDERAL RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE
Westlaw | Lexis

  • Title VI. Habeas corpus; proceedings in forma pauperis
    • F.R.A.P. 22. Habeas corpus and section 2255 proceedings
    • F.R.A.P. 23. Custody or release of a prisoner in a habeas corpus proceeding
    • F.R.A.P. 24. Proceeding in forma pauperis
  • Title VII. General Provisions
    • F.R.A.P. 25. Filing and service
    • F.R.A.P. 28. Briefs
    • F.R.A.P. 29. Brief of amicus curiae
    • F.R.A.P. 47. Local rules by courts of appeals
  • PLRA - Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321, H.R. 3019,  (full-text from DOJ); See also GPO Access txt version

FEDERAL PRACTICE MATERIALS

  • Hertz, Randy and Liebman, James S. (2001 with 2006 supplement). Federal Habeas Corpus Practice and Procedure - KF9011 .L54 - L4 and Permanent Reserve (behind the Circulation Desk on L3)
  • Bender, Matthew -  Federal Practice Forms. Annotations and Cross-references to Moore's Federal Practice, 2nd ed., by Louis R. Frumer (Vol. 17: Postconviction) - Lexis | KF8836 .M38 - L4
  • Lawyer's Coop - Federal Procedural Forms (Vol. 10B: Habeas corpus) - KF8836 .F4 - L4
  • Moore, James W. - Moore's Federal Practice (3rd ed.) (Vol. 20A, Ch. 322: Habeas corpus and section 2255 proceedings) - KF8820 .A313 M632 - L4
  • West's Federal Forms - KF8836 .W4 - L4
  • Wright & Miller - Federal Practice & Procedure - Westlaw | KF8840 .W68 - L3 Reference, L4
  • U.S. Sentencing Commission - Federal Sentencing Guidelines Manual - KF9685.A875 - L4 and LSO
  • Wilkes, Jr., Donald E. (1996 with 2007 supplement). Federal Postconviction Remedies and Relief: With Forms - KF9690 W542 - L4  

*Note:  There are many other Federal practice materials on Lexis and Westlaw.  On Lexis, go to the Research Tasks tab and then to "Federal Litigation", or go to the "Total Litigator" tab; on Westlaw, add the "Litigation" tab.

 

TREATISES, LEGAL ENCYCLOPEDIAS, AND OTHER RESOURCES AT YALE LAW LIBRARY

TREATISES

  • Hertz, Randy and Liebman, James S. (2001 with 2006 supplement). Federal Habeas Corpus Practice and Procedure - KF9011 .L54 - L4 and Permanent Reserve (behind the Circulation Desk on L3)
  • Church, William S. (2003). A Treatise on the Writ of Habeas Corpus - KF 9011 .C47 - L4
  • Hurd, Rollin C. (2003). A Treatise on the Right of Personal Liberty, and on the Writ of Habeas Corpus - KF9011 .H8 - L4
  • Stern, Peter, Dignam, Brett, Tegeler, Philip, and Bass, Eric (1997). Connecticut Prisoners' Rights (A publication of the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union Foundation and the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization at Yale Law School) - KFC4188.5 .S74 - L3 Reading Room, LES, and LSO

LEGAL ENCYCLOPEDIAS

  • 39 and 39A C.J.S. Habeas Corpus (state and federal law) - KF154 .C56 - L3 Reading Room
  • 39 Am.Jur.2d Habeas Corpus (state and federal law) - KF154 .A42 - L3 Reading Room
  • AMERICAN LAW REPORTS (state law) (KF132.6 .A544 - L3 Reading Room)
  • AMERICAN LAW REPORTS FEDERAL (KF132 .A472 - L3 Reading Room)
    • RESEARCH HINT: Find the terms "Habeas Corpus", "Postconviction Proceedings and Remedies" and "Prisons and Prisoners" (includes the subsection "civil rights") in the Quick Index for ALR, ALR 2nd, and ALR 3rd - 6th and ALR Federal and Fed 2d. Each of these major terms is broken down into many subsections. The subsections will give a citation to one of the ALR volumes where you will find an annotated discussion of the topic. Each annotated discussion is preceded by a fully reported case illustrating the point under consideration, including a summary of a decision, headnotes classified to the ALR digest, and epitomized briefs of counsel.

BOOKS & OTHER RESOURCES

  • Schwartz, Martin (2003 with 2006 supplement). Section 1983 Litigation - KF1325 .C58 S3612 - L4
  • Collins, Michael G. (2006). Section 1983 Litigation in a Nutshell - KF1325 .C58 C65 -
  • Ross, Mary Massaron and Voss, Edwin (2006). Sword and Shield: A Practical Approach to Section 1983 Litigation - KF1325.C58 S96 - L4
  • Nahmod, Sheldon H. (2004). Constitutional Torts - KF1306 .C64 N34 - L4
  • Nahmod, Sheldon H. (1993). A Section 1983 Civil Rights Anthology - KF1325 .C58 S388 - L4
  • Nahmod, Sheldon H. (1991). Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Litigation: The Law of Section 1983 - KF1325 .C58 N34 - L4


  • Mushlin, Michael B. (2002 with 2006 supplement; 3 volumes). Rights of Prisoners - KF9731 .G6 - L4 and LSO
  • Reese, Renford (2006). Prison Race - HV9950 .R434X - New Books Display
  • Branham, Lynn S. (2005). The Law and Policy of Sentencing and Corrections in a Nutshell - KF9728 .Z9 .B73
  • Branham, Lynn S. and Hamden, Michael S. (2005). Cases and Materials on the Law of Sentencing, Corrections, and Prisoners' Rights (7th ed.) - KF9728.A7 K7 - L4
  • Toone, Robert E. (2002). Protecting Your Health and Safety: Prisoners Rights
  • Anderson, James F. and Dyson, Laronistine (2001). Legal Rights of Prisoners: Cases and Comments - KF9731 .A7 A53 - L4
  • Rafter, Nicole H. (1999). Prisons in America: A Reference Handbook - HV9471 .R36 - UES
  • Manville, Daniel and Boston, John (1983). Prisoners' Self-help Litigation Manual - KF9731 .M36 - L4


  • Wilkes, Jr., Donald E. (1996 with 2007 supplement). Federal Postconviction Remedies and Relief: With Forms - KF9690 W542 - L4
  • Coyne, Randall and Entzeroth, Lyon (2006). Capital Punishment and the Judicial Process - KF9725 .C69 - L4
  • Edelman, Bryan C. (2006). Racial Prejudice, Juror Empathy, and Sentencing in Death Penalty Cases - KF9685 .E32 - L4
  • Lyon, Andrea, Hughes, Emily, and Prosser, Mary (2005). Federal Habeas Corpus: Cases and Materials - KF9011 .L96 - L4
  • Wilkes, Jr., Donald E. (1996). State Postconviction Remedies and Relief: With Forms - KF9690 .Z95 W55 - L4
  • Hanson, Roger A. and Daley, Henry W.K. (1995). Federal Habeas Corpus Review: Challenging State Court Criminal Convictions - KF9011 .H36 - L4
  • Flango, Victor E. (1994). Habeas Corpus in State and Federal Courts - KF9011 .F53 - L4

 

*Examine Morris or the stacks around these call numbers for other relevant resources.

 

PLRA - Prison Litigation Reform Act

Jones v. Bock

Woodford v. Ngo

  • Woodford v. Ngo, 548 U.S. 81, 126 S. Ct. 2378, 165 L. Ed. 2d 368 (2006); Docket No. 05-416, June 22, 2006 - Oyez | Cornell LII
  • From Oyez:  In a 6-to-3 decision authored by Justice Samuel Alito, the Supreme Court held that a prisoner must properly exhaust any available administrative remedies before bringing suit in federal court

Exhaustion in Connecticut

  • Exhaust using Administrative Directive 9.6 - Inmate Administrative Remedies (English & Spanish pdfs) in Chapter 9 - Classification 
  • Medical claims:
    • state/administrative claims - negligence
    • constitutional claims - deliberate indifference to a serious medical need

 

 

PRISON HEALTH SERVICES

 

 

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