Terms Used In Missouri Laws 532.160

  • 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
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.

It shall be the duty of every officer and other person upon whom a writ of habeas corpus shall be served, according to the provisions of this chapter, whether such writ be directed to him or not, to obey and return such writ, according to the exigency thereof, to the court or associate circuit judge by whom the writ was awarded; or, in case of the adjournment of such court, or the absence of such associate circuit judge, then before some other judge herein authorized to issue such writ.