Missouri Laws 491.230 – Power to issue writ of habeas corpus — persons detained in correctional ..
1. Courts of record, and any judge or justice thereof, shall have power, upon the application of any party to a criminal suit or proceeding, pending in any court of record, to issue a writ of habeas corpus for the purpose of bringing before such court any person who may be detained in jail or prison, within the state, for any cause, to be examined as a witness in such suit or proceeding, on behalf of the applicant.
2. No person detained in a correctional facility of the department of corrections shall appear and attend or be caused to appear and attend any civil proceeding, regardless of whether he is a party, except when:
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 491.230
- Habeas corpus: A writ that is usually used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine the legality of his imprisonment. It may also be used to bring a person in custody before the court to give testimony, or to be prosecuted.
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
- Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
(1) The offender is a respondent in a chapter 211 proceeding to terminate parental rights. In such cases the trial judge may only issue a writ of habeas corpus ad testificandum to an offender after the department of corrections has been notified and allowed fifteen days to file a written objection and be granted an opportunity to appear and make an oral presentation in opposition to the offender’s appearance on the basis of security considerations and the best interests of the child or children; or
(2) The offender is a party to the civil proceeding and the court finds that the offender will be substantially and irreparably prejudiced by his failure to attend a trial on the merits in the civil proceeding. In such cases the trial judge may issue a writ of habeas corpus ad testificandum to an offender only after the department of corrections has been notified and allowed fifteen days to file written objections and been granted an opportunity to appear and make an oral presentation in opposition to the offender’s appearance on the basis of security considerations.