Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Barbara Jaffe did not rule that the chimps were persons, but did grant them a writ of habeas corpus. "Only 'legal persons' may have an order to show cause and writ of habeas corpus issued in his or her behalf," boasted the Nonhuman Rights Project "the court has therefore implicitly determined that Hercules and Leo are persons."
But days after the ruling, Jaffe amended it by striking out "writ of habeas corpus".