PHOENIX, Ariz. (UP) - U.S. District Judge Dave W. Ling Tuesday sentenced 98 Japanese-American draft registers to one year in prison.

Sentence was imposed on defendants in three test cases but is binding on all of the other Nisei from the Poston relocation center at Parker, Ariz., who refused to respond to selective service calls.

An appeal will be taken immediately to the U.S. circuit court of appeals and the case may go from there to the U.S. supreme court.

The cases were consolidated by agreement of the government and defense counsel. Judge Ling heard the testimony without a jury.

The court found the defendants guilty after overruling a motion to quash the indictments.

The American-born Japs, virtually all of them from California, asserted they were exempt from the draft since they were in effect military prisoners at the relocation center. Most of them have renounced American citizenship and asked to be sent to Japan after the war.