Because the Habeas Corpus Petition Sought the Transfer of Kiko, A Chimpanzee, to Another Facility, Rather than Immediate Release, the Petition Must Be Denied, Regardless of Whether Kiko is Deemed a Person for Purposes of the Writ

The Fourth Department determined that a habeas corpus petition seeking the transfer of a chimpanzee, Kiko, to a facility with better conditions could not be granted, even if Kiko is deemed a person, because the petition did not seek Kiko’s immediate release:

Regardless of whether we agree with petitioner’s claim that Kiko is a person within the statutory and common-law definition of the writ, ” habeas corpus relief nonetheless is unavailable as [that] claim[], even if meritorious, would not entitle [Kiko] to immediate release’ ” … . It is well settled that a habeas corpus proceeding must be dismissed where the subject of the petition is not entitled to immediate release from custody … . Here, petitioner does not seek Kiko’s immediate release, nor does petitioner allege that Kiko’s continued detention is unlawful. Rather, petitioner seeks to have Kiko placed in a different facility that petitioner deems more appropriate. Matter of Nonhuman Rights Project Inc v Presti, 2015 NY Slip Op 00085, 4th Dept 1-2-15