LAWRENCE WRIGHT: According to the civil-law code of the state of New York, a writ of habeas corpus may be obtained by any “person” who has been illegally detained. In Bronx County, most such claims arrive on behalf of prisoners on Rikers Island. Habeas petitions are not often heard in court, which was only one … Continue reading THE ELEPHANT IN THE COURTROOM: The legal crusade to redefine personhood is raising profound questions