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Strafford County’s race for sheriff provided Democrats with one of the few bright spots in Tuesday’s otherwise dismal election, as former North Hampton Police Chief Kathryn Mone became the first woman to win the office in county history.

Mone, who was ousted from North Hampton after her department arrested a woman for drinking beer in her own living room, is taking over for the last elected sheriff, alleged felon and fellow Democrat Mark Brave.

Mone told Foster’s Daily Democrat she’s ready to move the sheriff’s department and the community forward, past Brave’s scandal.

“The staff there had nothing to do with what happened with Mark Brave, and I am disappointed that he continues to be a distraction to the good work done here. But, to that end, I want every resident in Strafford County to expect and demand full transparency from me. I want to help build trust again, and I need people to demand that of me,” Mone told the paper.

Mone says she wants to connect with the community and build relationships. Presumably, she’ll hope to avoid the management style that eventually led to her ouster in North Hampton.

“(Mone) would rather get sued for taking action than not,” one North Hampton officer told a Municipal Resources Incorporated (MRI) investigator hired by the town.

North Hampton agreed to pay resident Colleen Loud $150,000 in 2022 to avoid a lawsuit stemming from her 2018 arrest for drinking beer at home, alone, while watching a baseball game. Initially, Mone supported the arrest, according to the MRI investigation into the matter.

Loud was taken to jail and her home subjected to an illegal search by North Hampton officers who suspected she might be intoxicated. Police knocked on Loud’s door to ask if she had witnessed a car accident that occurred outside her Granite Drive home.

Arresting officer Sgt. Asa Johnson told investigators with MRI that Mone initially praised his decision to make an arrest. Days later, however, she told him she disagreed with some of the things he did but said she could not discuss it.

Mone’s tenure in North Hampton ended in the spring of 2023 after a disagreement with selectmen over how to punish Johnson, the officer she originally praised for Loud’s arrest. Sources in North Hampton government told NHJournal Mone was a difficult boss whose management style caused a staff exodus. When Mone left North Hampton, the department was down to a skeleton crew of about three officers.

But now she’s sheriff, and voters in Strafford County seem to like firsts. Brave was the first elected Black sheriff in New Hampshire history. Last year, he became the first African American sheriff to be charged for allegedly stealing taxpayer money to fund his extramarital affairs and then lying to a grand jury about it.

The trial in that case is slated for next year.

Brave was recently indicted on new charges alleging he subsequently lied to the courts about his income in order to secure a free public defense attorney, another first for an elected sheriff, white or Black. He allegedly hid the money he obtained from the sale of his house, bought a sports car, and paid a year’s lease on an apartment in Massachusetts. He’s also charged with lying about his place of residence as he was then under court orders to remain living in Massachusetts.

On Tuesday, he became the first Stratford County sheriff to get placed on the state’s Exculpatory Evidence Schedule, but not for any of the alleged crimes.

The EES, sometimes called the Laurie List, is a list of police officers with serious credibility problems kept by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. The list was secret for years, and the identities of the officers is only disclosed to defense attorneys as needed at trial. A law change in 2021 requires the attorney general to publish a public list which is updated quarterly. 

The list does not give detailed reasons for the inclusion of any of the officers, and Brave was added for an “untruthfulness” incident that took place on Dec. 9, 2022. That’s the day Brave’s ex-wife, Jaimie Brave, was arrested for drunk driving in Portsmouth. 

Mark Brave is alleged to have lied to county officials, saying he was “home watching the kids” when his wife was arrested. He also gave his deputies the impression he was not in the car, joking with them that “she should have called an Uber.”

NHJournal uncovered police reports that show Brave was in fact a passenger in the car when his wife was stopped. A police report and an investigative report from MRI commissioned by the county found Brave was also intoxicated and unable to drive after failing a breathalyzer test. Brave was then taken into protective custody by a New Hampshire State Police trooper and given a ride to a friend’s house. Meanwhile, Jamie Brave was taken into custody and booked.

Former Portsmouth attorney and one-time congressional hopeful Justin Nadeau is now indicted on 15 felony counts related to his alleged scheme to steal close to $300,000 from a mentally impaired client. 

He’s just the latest New Hampshire Democrat to find himself in legal peril.

A grand jury convened in Rockingham County handed up 11 indictments for falsifying physical evidence, two indictments for financial exploitation of an impaired adult, and one count each for theft by deception and forgery. 

The charges stem from information that came out during Nadeau’s ethics case before the state Professional Conduct Committee. Nadeau was ultimately disbarred after he was allegedly caught falsifying evidence during the PCC investigation.

“It’s difficult for me to imagine something worse for a lawyer to do,” one PCC member said, according to the court records.

Nadeau went before the PCC after he allegedly got a client who was impaired by a traumatic brain injury, Exeter woman Shawn Fahey, to give him close to $300,000 in loans in 2018. Nadeau allegedly secured the loans with a condo he did not own, and the anticipated proceeds from a pending defamation lawsuit he had against the Portsmouth Police Department.

Before his fall from grace, Nadeau had political ambitions and ran an unsuccessful campaign in 2004 against then-Congressman Jeb Bradley (R). 

Nadeau isn’t the only Seacoast Democrat in the dock. Former Stafford County Sheriff Mark Brave is facing trial for theft of county funds to pay for his affairs. The Democrat hoping to replace him, former North Hampton police chief Kathryn Mone, is facing questions about her handling of a wrongful arrest case during her last job, a case that cost North Hampton $150,000.

While Nadeau is at the beginning of his criminal prosecution, the legal struggles of former state Senate Democratic leader Jeff Woodburn of Coos County are coming to an end. Woodburn is expected to be sent to jail at his sentence imposition hearing on Wednesday in Grafton County. Woodburn was convicted of criminal mischief after he was charged with assaulting his former girlfriend in a domestic abuse case.

And then there are former state Reps. Andrew Bouldin and Stacie Laughton. A former Manchester representative, Bouldin changed his name to Andrew Kennedy and was seeking another term in the House in Lee, N.H. But he dropped out after NHJournal reported on an investigation into allegations of “grooming” — plying a teen with alcohol and making sexually suggestive comments, according to a police report.

Laughton is behind bars awaiting trial on a federal charge of sexual exploitation of children, and aiding and abetting. Laugton is a biological male who identifies as a female and allegedly committed the crimes with his girlfriend, who worked at a Massachusetts day care.

Nadeau is due in Rockingham County Superior Court on Oct. 23 for his arraignment.

Looking to retake the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office after Mark Brave’s notorious exit, Seacoast Democrats are backing a former North Hampton police chief who left her job following a controversial  — and expensive — wrongful arrest case.

Kathryn Mone’s time leading North Hampton’s department resulted in the town paying $150,000 to resident Colleen Loud, according to a settlement agreement obtained by NHJournal. 

North Hampton police took Loud out of her house in handcuffs, brought her to jail, and searched her home without a warrant for the alleged crime of drinking beer while watching baseball in her own living room. According to an independent investigation into the incident, Mone initially praised the arrest of a lone woman drinking in her own home.

Loud’s settlement is not surprising given statements made about Mone’s leadership during the subsequent investigation.

“[Mone] would rather get sued for taking action than not,” a police officer told investigators with Municipal Resources Inc. (MRI).

Loud was arrested in October 2022 after police sought to speak to her as a potential auto accident witness. The Granite Drive resident agreed last August to waive any legal claims against the town in exchange for a $150,000 payment, made through the town’s insurance carrier, according to the settlement agreement.

Mone quit her job in North Hampton on March 31, 2023, with no explanation, months after Loud’s arrest. She’s been working as a sheriff’s deputy in York County, Maine, since then.

Loud’s arrest occurred when two North Hampton officers responded to an auto accident at her home. Loud was watching television when a car crashed into a bush on her property, according to the MRI report. Loud told the officers she did not see or hear the crash.

But one officer started wondering about Loud’s condition, according to the MRI report. While Officer Matthew McCue did not notice anything unusual about Loud, Sgt. Asa Johnson told McCue he smelled alcohol and thought she might have been drinking.

“[McCue] said he did not observe any sign of impairment at that point. He explained that [Loud] seemed steady on her feet and he could not observe any odor [of alcohol] at that time,” MRI’s report states. 

Johnson, who was the lead officer, wanted to investigate further.

“Does she need to be p.c.’d?” Johnson reportedly asked McCue. (P.C. is short for a protective custody arrest.)

Officers returned to Loud’s home to further question her and noticed the unclean condition of the home. Loud later told officers she had not cleaned in 10 years, according to the police report. (Having a dirty home is not a crime in New Hampshire.)

Asked if she had been drinking, Loud said she stopped off after work and drank a few beers before coming home to watch baseball. She said she might have had some hard lemonade at home. She was reluctant to submit to a Breathalyzer test in her own home, but she was given an ultimatum from Johnson, according to the report.

The test registered a blood alcohol percentage (BAC) of .086 percent. While that is above the .08 percent legal limit for driving, New Hampshire doesn’t have a legal limit for alcohol consumption while in your own home watching a baseball game, or any other televised sporting activity.

Based on the BAC test, however, Johnson took Loud into custody.

Loud was handcuffed, placed into the back of a cruiser, and transported to the Rockingham County House of Corrections. After the arrest — and without a warrant —  the officers entered and searched Loud’s home, taking photos of the alleged mess.

According to McCue, Johnson said if the test showed she was not capable of driving, they would take her into custody. McCue conceded to MRI investigators that Johnson’s reasoning did not make sense.

Johnson told investigators Mone initially praised his decision to make an arrest. Days later, however, she told him she disagreed with some of the things he did but said she could not discuss it.

Mone told MRI she did not agree with the officers’ actions.

“Jail would not have been what I wanted, and there could have been and should have been a better resolution than that,” she said. 

Mone also said the officers were wrong to enter Loud’s home and take photos. She told investigators she had questions about the officers’ judgment. But she didn’t pursue additional training for them after the arrest. 

Asked what the officers should have done instead, Mone — who is currently running to oversee the Strafford County Sheriff’s Department — told investigators, “I don’t have an answer for that.”

Mone is running to fill the vacancy left by fellow Democrat Brave. The former sheriff is facing up to 60 years in prison if convicted on charges of theft and perjury. Brave allegedly used $19,000 in taxpayer money to fund his love life, including airfare and hotel rooms for out-of-state liaisons. 

Last week, prosecutors signaled they could be looking to add charges against Brave. The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office filed a motion seeking documents on Brave’s original bail order and the court appointment of a public defender based on his allegedly bogus financial disclosure.

Prosecutors allege Brave lied about his finances in order to qualify for a free defense attorney. The documents now being sought could be used for a grand jury presentation to justify new criminal charges for allegedly misleading the court.

Brave’s case is not likely to go to trial until next year, barring a plea agreement. Brave has already rejected one plea offer, as well as a mediated plea settlement. Prosecutors said last week negotiations are ongoing.

Interim Strafford County Sheriff Joseph McGivern has been leading the agency since Brave’s arrest last year. He is not seeking election due to the age restrictions. Mone will face Republican Scott Tingle in November.

Busted for drinking a few beers and watching a ball game in your own house?

It happened to 67-year-old Colleen Loud in North Hampton, N.H. She went from her living room sofa to the Rockingham County lock up at the hands of local police. Her arrest sparked an investigation into the policies of the small community’s police department.

Soon after that investigation, Chief Kathryn Mone suddenly announced her retirement.

Mone, once a rising star in state law enforcement circles, hasn’t given her reasons for leaving the department she took over in 2018, nor for ending her law enforcement career.

“I can’t comment on anything,” Mone said when reached over the weekend.

The circumstances surrounding Loud being taken into custody are difficult to believe. They were confirmed by arrest records and investigation documents obtained by NHJournal. That investigation revealed a culture within Mone’s department that favored police action over careful evaluation, critics say.

“(Mone) would rather get sued for taking action than not,” a police officer told investigators with Municipal Resources Inc. (MRI)

The story began last October 17, when a driver crashed her car into a bush on Loud’s Granite Drive property. The driver had apparently suffered a medical problem while behind the wheel, according to reports. Loud was unaware of the accident.

Police then told her about the accident and asked if she had witnessed it. She hadn’t. While Officer Matthew McCue did not notice anything unusual about Loud, Sgt. Asa Johnson told McCue he smelled alcohol and thought she might have been drinking.

“(McCue) said he did not observe any sign of impairment at that point. He explained that (Loud) seemed steady on her feet and he could not observe any odor (of alcohol) at that time,” MRI’s report states. Johnson, who was the lead officer, wanted to investigate further.

“Does she need to be p.c.’d?” Johnson reportedly asked McCue. (P.C. is short for a protective custody arrest.)

Officers returned to Loud’s home to further question her. They noticed the unclean condition of the home. Loud later told officers she had not cleaned in 10 years, according to the police report.

Asked if she had been drinking, Loud said she stopped off after work and drank a few beers before coming home to watch baseball. She said she might have had some hard lemonade at home. She was reluctant to submit to a Breathalyzer test in her own home. Facing an ultimatum from Johnson, she agreed.

The test registered a blood alcohol percentage (BAC) of .086 percent. While that is above the .08 percent legal limit for driving, New Hampshire doesn’t have a legal limit for alcohol consumption while in your own home watching a baseball game.

Based on the BAC test, however, Johnson took Loud into custody.

After the arrest — and without a warrant —  the officers went through her home taking photos of the mess. Loud was handcuffed, placed into the back of a cruiser, and transported to the Rockingham County House of Corrections.

According to McCue, Johnson said if the test showed she was not capable of driving, they would take her into custody. McCue conceded to MRI investigators that Johnson’s reasoning did not make sense.

Johnson, the lead officer on the case, told investigators Mone initially praised his decision to make an arrest. Days later, however, she told him she disagreed with some of the things he did but said she could not discuss it.

Mone told MRI she did not agree with the officers’ actions.

“Jail would not have been what I wanted, and there could have been and should have been a better resolution than that,” she said. Mone also said the officers were wrong to enter Loud’s home and take photos. She told investigators she had questions about the officers’ judgment. But she didn’t pursue additional training for them after the arrest. 

Asked what the officers should have done instead, Mone told investigators, “I don’t have an answer for that.”

Mone had once been a star in New Hampshire’s law enforcement community. She has a bachelor’s in sociology and political science and a master’s in public administration from UNH. She graduated from the FBI Academy and was named a 40 Under Forty leader by the New Hampshire Union Leader in 2020.

When Mone submitted her retirement letter on March 1 she did not explain it to town officials, said Select Board Chairman James Sununu.

“She didn’t give any specific reasons as to why,” Sununu said.

Sununu said the investigation into Loud’s arrest, received by the town in December, raised serious concerns about police department operations. He and others were working with Mone as a result of the findings.

“There were issues we felt needed to be addressed and we’re working on addressing them,” he said.

Other sources, however, said Mone’s track record was more problematic. For example, Mone became frustrated when her officers failed to arrest a member of North Hampton’s select board, Jonathan Pinette after police were called to his home, according to a source with knowledge of the incident.

The source said police were sent to Pinette’s house for a motor vehicle complaint. While there they overheard a verbal argument between a man and woman inside the residence. There was no indication of domestic violence going on, the source said.

Sgt. Johnson was also on that call. He told MRI’s investigator he spoke to the couple. “(Johnson) said there was no legal ground to take action. However, Chief Mone thought he should have done more,” the MRI report stated.

The source told NHJournal that Mone published the incident in the public police log, categorizing it as a “domestic dispute” even though that was not the case. 

Sununu declined to comment on the incident. He said the select board, as a body, did not have discussions with Mone about it.

As for Loud’s arrest, the MRI report concluded officers had several other options besides arresting her, and Johnson’s decision to arrest her was inappropriate. It attributed part of the problem to a lack of clear instructions from department leadership calling it “vague, at best.”

Johnson is no longer with the department. Mone’s last day in North Hampton is set for March 31. Her resignation is to be discussed at Monday’s select board meeting. 

Sununu wanted to make sure that going forward officers are trained and ready to use sound judgment.

“We want to help our staff do the best job they can,” he said.