Upon arrest, my friend was waiting to be served papers about parole
violations.  When he was finally served a few hours before the 72 hour
deadline, he read what they had delivered - the papers for another
individual in another case.  Now, a Writ of Habeus Corpus is required
to sercure his release.  I've been asked to write it.  Where can I
find a boilerplate for such a writ?

There is useful information and a sample petition at
http://www.thejailhouselawyer.com/habeuscorpus.html

There are also PDFs for
Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus by a Person in State Custody and
Petition For Writ of Habeus Corpus By a Person In Federal Custody at
http://forms.lp.findlaw.com/federal/cacdcv_1.html

The state custody one is prepared for California. You do not state
your jurisdiction or the type of court involved, but a Google web
search for: sample writ habeas corpus provides many hits. Adding your
location should narrow the search.

Please note the Google Answer's disclaimer that this service is no
substitute for professional legal advice.

Owain