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Tahlequah, OK, The Cherokee Nation Judicial Appeals Tribunal is expected to soon rule on whether Drew Wilcoxen should serve as an associate district judge of the Cherokee Nation.

Testimony on the matter was heard Wednesday.

Wilcoxen was appointed associate district judge in Feb. 1995. The appointment, he thought, was for a full four-year term. But Cherokee Chief Joe Bryd claims Wilcoxen's term expired April 9, 1997.

According to a petition filed in Oct., Wilcoxen claims the tribal administration has refused to recognize his four-year term and is not compensating him for his work.

Byrd has the authority to appoint district judges and was planning to replace Wilcoxen.

The situation has created a great deal of confusion within the judicial system of the Cherokee Nation, according to the petition Wilcoxen filed against Byrd.

Wilcoxen is asking the tribunal to order the return of court files removed from Cherokee Nation Courthouse so that he can fulfill his duties as associate judge.