← Legal Glossary
Section 2254 application
Definition
A federal habeas corpus petition filed by a state prisoner challenging the legality of their state-court conviction or sentence. It allows federal courts to review whether a state prisoner is being held in violation of the Constitution or federal law.
Examples
- •Section 2244(b)(1) expressly applies to 'habeas corpus application[s] under section 2254,' which is the state prisoner statute.