Rice arrested for allegedly searching out data of accusers in harassment trial

Chris Rice (City Council screenshot)

ROCHESTER - Ousted city councilor Chris Rice has been arrested on charges alleging he illegally accessed computer systems of police and the department of motor vehicles while working as a Rockingham County Sheriff's dispatcher.
The charges accuse him of trying to learn information about three individuals using records stored by police and the DMV.
One of his accusers is thought to be City Councilor Ashley Desrochers, whose harassment claims led to his removal from the City Council following a trial in May.

Rice is free on bail pending his court date in December in Brentwood Circuit court.
The six charges are all misdemeanors.
The investigation leading to Rice's arrest began last month.
Rice, 32, was removed from the City Council on May 12 following a two and a half hour trial, the former councilor characterized as a "---- show."
The City Council voted to remove Rice from the council on charges of harassment of Desrochers, making fraudulent statements to city staff and retaliation against Mayor Paul Callaghan and Desrochers.
In summing up his closing arguments against removal, Rice claimed the investigation and trial had been rushed, that there was no due process and that he objected that two of his accusers (Callaghan and Desrochers) were sitting in judgment of him.
In the end the council voted to remove Rice, 9-3, with Tim Fontneau, Dana Berlin and Laura Hainey voting against removal.