Writ of Hocus Pocus (county, legal, words, food)

[angelfood]

Someone used this in a conversation with me and I have no idea what they were talking about . Does anyone know where this expression oriiginated, what it means, and how is it used in context?

[cruxan]

Originally Posted by angelfood

Someone used this in a conversation with me and I have no idea what they were talking about . Does anyone know where this expression oriiginated, what it means, and how is it used in context?

but grasshopper, one must use the little fingers to google it up just joking with yas.. it beats me. was just about to do the google shuffle

[toosie]

Either they meant "writ of habeas corpus" or they actually said "writ of hocus pocus" but said it as a pun on habeas corpus. That's my opinion, anyway.

[toosie]

BTW, usually a habeas corpus petition is about a claim of unlawful imprisonment or some other reduced right. In other words, it's a legal/court motion. HTH.

[Cunucu Beach]

Never heard the phrase before but I take it as a play on words to mean something is illogical or nonsensical.

[Nomadicus]

Sounds like a Kangaroo court term to me.

[wit-nit]

Hocus Pocus or hocus-pocus is a generic term that may be derived from an ancient language and is presently used by magicians, usually the magic words spoken when bringing about some sort of change. It was once a common term for a magician, juggler, or other similar entertainer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hocus_Pocus_(magic)

[cruxan]

Originally Posted by nitram

Hocus Pocus or hocus-pocus is a generic term that may be derived from an ancient language and is presently used by magicians, usually the magic words spoken when bringing about some sort of change. It was once a common term for a magician, juggler, or other similar entertainer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hocus_Pocus_(magic)

hocus pocus. and a touch of the magic wand and wela, i just pull a wabbit out of this thread

[_redbird_]

Originally Posted by toosie

Either they meant "writ of habeas corpus" or they actually said "writ of hocus pocus" but said it as a pun on habeas corpus. That's my opinion, anyway.

For us, it means we have someone who is locked up, but wants to take care of some other pending charges from another county. In effect, he is asking the other jurisdiction to bring him up before the court to settle it.

The reason is normally the courts will run the new charges CC with the time he is doing now, which they would rather do, instead of wait and be convicted later and have to do the time when he gets out of prison.

[tulips4you2]

They may have just been speaking slang regarding A Writ Of Habeas Corpus. Which in itself could be referred to as magic, as upon being granted the habeas corpus one is released from being incarcerated or in the civil context have been found in favor of.
OR...maybe they couldn't pronounce habeas corpus?!

Technically, it is used in the criminal law context to bring the petitioner before the court to inquire into the legality of his confinement. The writ of federal habeas corpus is used to test the constitutionality of a state criminal conviction. The writ is used in the civil context to challenge the validity of child custody and deportations.

A Writ Of Habeas Corpus is one of a variety a judical mandate ordering that an inmate be brought to the court so it can be determined whether or not that person is imprisoned lawfully and whether or not he should be released, this is a timely process and delays the finality of a criminal case, often used after all other appeals have been denied. A habeas corpus petition is filed with a court by a person who objects to his own or another's detention or imprisonment. The petition must show that the court ordering the detention or imprisonment made a legal or factual error at some point in time from arrest through sentencing and conviction, with lots of rules regarding what one may use or consider a factual error.

It is called the most important human right in the constitution. The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.