After a Manhattan judge signed an order for a hearing regarding the petition by the NonHuman Rights Project's petition for the release of two chimps held by SUNY Stony Brook, the NhRP announced to the world that the judge had issued a writ of habeas corpus, claiming in a release: "First Time in World History Judge Recognizes Two Chimpanzees as Legal Persons."

The announcement caused the judge to reach out to the media to clarify her ruling. At the same time, she specifically modified her order (originally drafted by the NhRP), striking the words "Writ of Habeas Corpus" from its caption. No reference to the writ was included in the body of the order. The NhRP reported the change on its blog.

The controversy was reported the New York Times in an article in which our quotation became the quotation of the day in the newspaper of record.