Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.384 · Article 1. Habeas Corpus Proceedings Not Related to Judgment of Death
Petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by an attorney for a party
Text — As posted by the Judicial Council of California (read October 22, 2026)
(a) Form and content of petition and memorandum
(1) A petition for habeas corpus filed by an attorney need not be filed on Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (form HC-001) but must contain the information requested in that form and must be verified. All petitions filed by attorneys, whether or not on form HC-001, must be either typewritten or produced on a computer, and must comply with this rule and rule 8.40(b)-(c) relating to document covers and rule 8.204(a)(1)(A) relating to tables of contents and authorities. A petition that is not on form HC-001 must also comply with the remainder of rule 8.204(a)(b)..
(2) Any memorandum accompanying the petition must comply with rule 8.204(a)-(b). Except in habeas corpus proceedings related to sentences of death, any memorandum must also comply with the length limits in rule 8.204(c).
(3) The petition and any memorandum must support any reference to a matter in the supporting documents by a citation to its index number or letter and page.
(b) Supporting documents
(1) The petition must be accompanied by a copy of any petition-excluding exhibits-pertaining to the same judgment and petitioner that was previously filed in any state court or any federal court. If such documents have previously been filed in the same Court of Appeal where the petition is filed or in the Supreme Court and the petition so states and identifies the documents by case name and number, copies of these documents need not be included in the supporting documents.
(2) If the petition asserts a claim that was the subject of an evidentiary hearing, the petition must be accompanied by a certified transcript of that hearing.
(3) Rule 8.486(c)(1) and (2) govern the form of any supporting documents accompanying the petition.
(4) If any supporting documents accompanying the petition are sealed or confidential records, rules 8.45-8.47 govern these documents.
(c) Number of copies
If the petition is filed in the Supreme Court, the attorney must file the number of copies of the petition and supporting documents required by rule 8.44(a). If the petition is filed in the Court of Appeal, the attorney must file the number of copies of the petition and supporting documents required by rule 8.44(b).
(d) Noncomplying petitions
The clerk must file an attorney's petition not complying with (a)-(c) if it otherwise complies with the rules of court, but the court may notify the attorney that it may strike the petition or impose a lesser sanction if the petition is not brought into compliance within a stated reasonable time of not less than five days.
Notes and commentary — not rule text
History
(Subd (a) amended effective January 1, 2020; adopted as part of subd (b) effective January 1, 2006; previously amended and lettered as subd (a) effective January 1, 2009; previously amended effective January 1, 2016, and January 1, 2018)
(Subd (b) amended effective January 1, 2014; previously amended effective January 1, 2007, and January 1, 2009.)
(Subd (c) amended and lettered effective January 1, 2009; adopted as part of subd (b) effective January 1, 2006.)
(Subd (d) amended and lettered effective January 1, 2009; adopted as part of subd (b) effective January 1, 2006.)
Rule 8.384 amended effective January 1, 2020; adopted as rule 60.5 effective January 1, 2006; previously amended and renumbered as rule 8.384 effective January 1, 2007; previously amended effective January 1, 2009, January 1, 2014, January 1, 2016, and January 1, 2018.
Advisory Committee Comment
Subdivision (b)(4). Examples of confidential records include Penal Code section 1203.03 diagnostic reports, records closed to inspection by court order under People v. Marsden (1970) 2 Cal.3d 118 or Pitchess v. Superior Court (1974) 11 Cal.3d 531, in-camera proceedings on a confidential informant, and defense expert funding requests (Pen. Code, § 987.9; Keenan v. Superior Court (1982) 31 Cal.3d 424, 430).
Source of truth
- Edition
- As posted by the Judicial Council of California (read October 22, 2026)
- Official file
- https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/eight/rule8_384
- Text hash
- sha256 1043345d5df60f9fb922b994fee3a6cfdee5ff574340e2718e4f373413fa8867
- Composed by
- compose_crc.py 2026-10-22: the Judicial Council's rule pages read paragraph by paragraph; verify_crc.py's second reading of the Council's per-title PDFs finds every paragraph
This rule cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Penal Code
California Rules of Court
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.40Cover requirements for documents filed in paper formPrinted as rule 8.40(b)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.44Number of copies of filed documentsPrinted as rule 8.44(a) | rule 8.44(b)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.45General provisionsPrinted as rules 8.45-8.47
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.47Confidential recordsPrinted as rules 8.45-8.47
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.204Contents and format of briefsPrinted as rule 8.204(a) | rule 8.204(a)(1)(A) | rule 8.204(a)(b) | rule 8.204(c)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.486PetitionsPrinted as Rule 8.486(c)(1)
Cited by 1 provision
Provisions in this library whose text cites Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.384. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
California Rules of Court
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.