Batesville Democrats Choose City Councilman Lambert As New Mayor

By Mike Perleberg Gene Lambert has been selected as the City of Batesville's mayor for the next three months. Photo via batesvilleindiana.us. (Batesville, Ind.) - Batesville’s city council president has been selected as the new mayor. Former mayor Rick Fledderman resigned the office last month after he was criminally charged with Patronizing a Prostitute (class A misdemeanor). Democrat precincts committee members in the City of Batesville held a caucus Tuesday and selected Gene Lambert to fill the remainder of Fledderman’s term through December 31. Lambert beat out fellow Democrat Mike Vonderheide, who is on the ballot for Batesville mayor against Republican Michael Bettice in the November 3 municipal election. A representative of the Ripley County Clerk of Courts office said Wednesday that the Democrat party has not yet turned in paperwork concerning the caucus. Since he’s taking the office of mayor, Lambert will have to resign his position on city council, creating the need for perhaps another caucus to be held to fill that vacancy. Lambert has been the acting mayor of Batesville since Fledderman disappeared from the public eye following his arrest, which made state and national headlines. Meanwhile, Fledderman’s case in Ripley County Superior Court is still pending. He was not present for a pretrial hearing on Tuesday, according to the Batesville Herald-Tribune. The newspaper reported that Ripley County Prosecutor Ric Hertel said Fledderman’s attorney "is to provide me some information about Rick's status. He's undergoing some treatment.” Another pretrial hearing is scheduled for December 1. RELATED STORIES: Batesville Council President’s Authority Extended In Absence Of Mayor Batesville Mayor Turns In Resignation Amid Scandal Affidavit Details Mayor’s Arrest; Male Prostitute Says He Is Victim