Vanderburgh County leaders largely mum on sheriff scrubbing attorney's arrest info

Evansville Courier & Press

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — "No comment." "I don't know." And a lot of silence.

Those were the responses of most of Vanderburgh County's elected leaders to the news that Sheriff Dave Wedding removed the mugshot and charge information of the County Council's attorney from his jail's website following the man's arrest on suspicion of drunken driving.

Evansville police arrested Jeffrey W. Ahlers, 60, just after midnight Sunday. Ahlers has been attorney for the County Council — which oversees budgets for county offices, including the sheriff's office — since 1997.

Three of seven County Council members and one of the three county commissioners did not acknowledge text and phone messages from the Courier & Press about Wedding's decision to scrub Ahlers' arrest information and mugshot from the Vanderburgh County jail website within a day.

Most of those who did answer did not address Wedding's actions, even though the Courier & Press asked about them directly and provided links to its Wednesday story reporting the details.

"I choose to not comment on private matters," County Councilwoman Jill Hahn said by text.

Hahn was asked if she understood the newspaper was inquiring about Wedding's actions. She did not respond.

County Council member Mike Goebel pleaded ignorance on Thursday morning after being sent the Courier & Press story by text Wednesday afternoon.

Goebel, longtime head coach of Mater Dei High School's football program, said by text that he left the council's 3:30 p.m. personnel and finance meeting Wednesday to go to a football scrimmage in Princeton, Indiana, and that he was in Atlanta at the moment.

"I was totally unaware of this situation so I have no comment," Goebel wrote.

Asked if he could read the story that was sent to him Wednesday and comment later Thursday morning, Goebel wrote about an hour later that he was in an airport and had not been able to access the story. He was on his plane and would have to shut off his phone, he wrote.

'I am not familiar with it'

Joe Kiefer, longtime member of the County Council, also pleaded ignorance Thursday after being sent the Courier & Press story on Wednesday.

"I can't say that I have any comments about the situation you're referring to as I am not familiar with it and have not followed the case," Kiefer wrote.

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County Councilman James Raben — the fiscal body's liaison to the sheriff's office — didn't bother with explanations.

"Sorry, no comment," Raben replied.

Asked why, Raben did not reply.

County Council members Stephanie Terry, Tom Shetler Jr., and John Montrastelle — the council's president — did not respond at all to text and phone messages about the matter. Neither did County Commissioner Ben Shoulders.

'I've known him since high school'

Ahlers was booked into the Vanderburgh County jail and posted bond Sunday night. His attorney contends he should not be charged in the case because his blood-alcohol content was slightly lower than what's considered legally intoxicated in Indiana — 0.08.

Evansville Police Department spokeswoman Officer Taylor Merriss said Ahlers failed field sobriety tests. And he didn't receive a chemical breath test until 90 minutes after the initial stop.

County Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave pointed out that Wedding is elected countywide and independently of the Board of Commissioners, county government's executive governing body.

"I have no authority over his website in any way, shape or form," Musgrave said. "So if you’re asking me officially what I think about that, I think he’s a separately elected official, and we can’t tell him what to do with his website."

But personally, Musgrave said, she has an opinion.

The Courier & Press reported Wednesday that a check of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office's website showed that a man arrested on similar charges as Ahlers — and who was booked into the jail just after midnight the same day — also posted bond and was released, but his mugshot and arrest information were still on the jail website as of Wednesday morning.

"I feel you should treat everyone fairly and the same, and I would want to be assured that everyone in the same predicament receives the same treatment," Musgrave said.

The Board of Commissioners doesn't determine the sheriff's budget, but it does pass ordinances, approve all county government contracts and hire several high-level county officials. In December, commissioners Shoulders and Jeff Hatfield voted to have a proposal for an estimated $13.5 million, 120-bed jail expansion presented to the County Council. Musgrave voted against it, saying it wasn't enough to meet the need.

Shoulders did not respond to Courier & Press questions about Wedding's decision to scrub Ahlers' arrest information and mugshot from the jail website, but Hatfield did.

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"Jeff Ahlers and I have known each other since we joined the Young Republicans together 30 years ago or more," said Hatfield, now a Democrat. "Jeff is a solid guy, in my opinion.

"Sheriff Wedding, I've known him since high school at Memorial. I have the same opinion of him."

Hatfield said he hasn't talked to Wedding about his decision to scrub Ahlers' arrest information and mugshot from the jail website. He doesn't have enough information, he said.

"I'd almost have to talk to (Wedding) and get an explanation from him to make a comment on that," Hatfield said.

Thomas B. Langhorne can be reached by email at tom.langhorne@courierpress.com.