[2] In 1995, after his main rival was disqualified, Joe Byrd was elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, succeeding Wilma Mankiller.
The law firm was hired on an hourly basis to represent CNI in a dispute with a defense contractor, Stewart & Stevenson Industries, Inc. (S&S) of Houston, Texas.
Later court filing suggest that Terry Barker, and possibly Joe Byrd, knew about the probable settlement with S&S before CNI signed the contingency agreement.
In August 1996, The Tribal Council petitioned the Cherokee Nation Justice Appeals Tribunal (JAT) for access to the requested materials from Byrd.
In retaliation for the seizure, Byrd fired Director Pat Ragsdale and Sharon Wright of the Cherokee Nation Marshals Service.
[8] As a replacement for the now "fired" marshals, Byrd requested that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) assume all law-enforcement duties for the Cherokee Nation.
[9] Byrd announced that he had requested an FBI investigation of Cherokee Nation Tribal Council Members, Marshals, and Justices on the grounds that they were plotting to "overthrow his administration".
Byrd responded by attempting to shut off power, water, and electricity to the Cherokee Nation Marshals Complex, but was stopped by an order of Justice Birdwell.
On Thursday, March 7, 1997, US Attorney John Raley, in conjunction with the FBI, announced an investigation into Byrd's activities and of the events which had occurred at the Cherokee Nation Tribal Complex.
Despite the fact that the council was without a quorum, Byrd ordered the councilors to approve the impeachment of the Cherokee Nation Courts Justices.
The Cherokee Nation petitioned the Federal Courts for BIA officers to confiscate the weapons of Byrd's security force.
[16][17][11] During the Cherokee National Holiday (Labor Day weekend) in 1997, Oklahoma SWAT teams with high-powered rifles and BIA helicopters patrolled tribal lands.
In August 1997, Byrd was summoned to Washington, D.C., where he met with Attorney General Janet Reno and Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt.
After several days of negotiations, Byrd signed an agreement that required that he relinquish control of the Cherokee Nation law enforcement system to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
[16] In what some see as an attempt to influence the outcome of the obstruction of justice cases against him, in early 1998 Byrd moved the district court out of the Tribal Courthouse.
During public hearings, there were, among other items, a strong push for procedures allowing for the recall of elected officials, a call for open financial records of the Nation's government, and a desire to strengthen the power and independence of the Judiciary.