Minnesota lawmaker convicted of burglary could face up to 20 years behind bars

Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell was convicted of felony burglary Friday, more than a year after she was arrested while breaking into her stepmother’s home. 

Mitchell faced pressure to resign from both sides of the aisle since her arrest but had some defenders who said she deserved her day in court. One of them was Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, who, like Mitchell, is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL).

“Senator Mitchell has been afforded due process, a trial by a jury of her peers, and that jury has delivered a verdict. I am relieved to see the end of Senator Mitchell’s trial. The case’s resolution brings clarity to the situation,” Murphy said in a statement issued by the DFL after the verdict. 

“Senator Mitchell has told colleagues that she intended to resign if found guilty of this crime, and I expect her to follow through on that pledge. Our caucus remains focused on the issues that matter to Minnesotan families and communities.”

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The state lawmaker was arrested in April 2024 on suspicion of breaking into her stepmother’s home. Mitchell said she went to the home of her stepmother, Carol Mitchell, to retrieve her late father’s items. The state senator claimed her stepmother was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Mitchell testified she trespassed at her stepmother’s home and admitted lying to police about why she was there but that it was done out of concern for her stepmother, according to Axios. 

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Footage of Mitchell inside a police cruiser handcuffed and being questioned was shown at her trial. In the video, she told an officer she was “just trying to get some of my dad’s things,” adding, “Clearly, I’m not good at this.” Mitchell told police her stepmom “wouldn’t talk to me anymore,” which is why she resorted to breaking into the Detroit Lakes home.

Among the items Mitchell said she wanted to retrieve were her father’s ashes, pictures, clothes and other sentimental items.

When she was arrested, officers found a flashlight covered with a black sock on her. Additionally, officers said they searched a black backpack and found two laptops, a cellphone, a driver’s license, Senate identification and Tupperware products.

While no sentencing date has been set, Mitchell faces a minimum of six months in jail and a maximum of 20 years, according to Axios, citing her attorney.