” stony brook has also issued a statement about the case : “ the university does not comment on the specifics of litigation , and awaits the court 's full consideration on this matter .
what happened to habeas corpus for anyone detained at guantánamo .
the founders of our nation believed habeas corpus was so essential to preserving liberty , justice , and democracy that they enshrined it in the very first article of the united states constitution .
at that time , the judge will hear legal arguments regarding whether hercules and leo — two research chimpanzees at stony brook .
we are grateful for an opportunity to litigate the issue of the freedom of the chimpanzees , hercules and leo , at the ordered may hearing .
” this provision applies to legal residents of the u.s. as well , meaning someone who has lived in the u.s. for years could potentially be labeled an “ enemy combatant ” and then thrown into prison with no legal recourse to challenge their detention .
we now know that almost none of the guantánamo prisoners were taken into custody by u.s. forces or captured on update , 21 april : science has learned that the court order referred to in this story has been amended .
the ruling marks the first time
in a decision that seems to recognize chimpanzees as legal persons for the first time , a new york judge today granted a pair of stony brook university lab animals the right to have their day in court .