Posted on 07/18/2025 3:22:56 PM PDT by george76
The convictions will have major ramifications for the Minnesota Senate and the state's political landscape.
Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, was found guilty of first-degree burglary in a stunning conclusion to a legal saga that began more than a year ago.
In April 2024, Mitchell was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary after allegedly breaking into her stepmother’s Detroit Lakes home with the intent to take items that once belonged to her late father. A second felony charge, possession of burglary or theft tools, was later added by prosecutors.
Mitchell’s trial began on Monday and featured body-camera footage, several witnesses, and the senator testifying in her own defense. On Friday, the defense rested their case and both sides made their closing arguments.
During the trial, Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald argued that Mitchell’s guilt was demonstrated by statements she made on the morning she was arrested by police.
Those statements include “I have never done anything like this,” “There were just a couple things of my dad’s I wanted to come get,” “I’m clearly not good at this,” “I know I did something bad,” and “I just wanted to get a couple of my dad’s mementos.”
Additionally, the prosecution highlighted how Mitchell entered the house through an egress window under cover of darkness, was dressed in black clothing, had a flashlight with a sock covering it, and went to great efforts not to be noticed.
McDonald argued that Mitchell was in the home with the intent to steal items. He told jurors to “trust your eyes and ears, do not get distracted, use your common sense and good judgement.” The prosecutor warned the jury that Mitchell’s testimony was “carefully crafted to protect the one person that she cares the most about in this case, herself.”
While Mitchell and her attorneys admitted the senator trespassed at her stepmother’s home, the defense said that fact was immaterial to the case because Mitchell was charged with burglary, not trespassing. A burglary conviction requires the state to prove someone broke into a building with the intent to commit a crime.
Defense attorney Bruce Ringstrom Jr. said the senator was not in the home to steal items that belonged to her father, but was there to do a welfare check on her 75-year-old stepmother, Carol, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease several years ago.
Testifying in her own defense, Mitchell said Carol was declining due to Alzheimer’s disease and Mitchell felt Carol’s family was not providing proper assistance. As such, the senator said she went to Detroit Lakes to check on her stepmother and review how she was living.
Mitchell told the jury she tried to be undetected because Carol would be enraged if she knew someone was checking on her or looking for evidence of her decline.
According to the defense, Mitchell’s statements from her arrest were “white lies” Mitchell told to keep her stepmother from knowing the real reason she was in the home. At trial, Mitchell said she did not take anything from the home and did not intend to take anything.
After a three-hour deliberation, the jury convicted Mitchell of both felony charges.
The convictions will have major ramifications for Mitchell personally and the state Senate. Under Minnesota law, a conviction of first-degree burglary carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $35,000 fine, or both. Mitchell has two young sons.
Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, released a statement after Mitchell’s convictions which said “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.”
In the Senate, Democrats have a one-seat majority (34-33). With Mitchell’s conviction, the Senate is poised to be evenly split between the GOP and the DFL. In turn, a special election will likely be called to fill Mitchell’s seat with the winner determining which party controls the chamber.
The Senate seat in question, District 47, includes all of Woodbury and part of Maplewood. In 2022, Mitchell won the seat by roughly 17 points.
“Senate Republicans have been clear since day one that this conduct is unbecoming of a Senator and we expect [Mitchell’s] immediate resignation from the Senate,” said Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, after the verdict was announced. “If she is unwilling to resign, she must be expelled as soon as possible to protect the integrity of the Senate.”
Can she still serve her constituents for the next couple of years that she will be serving time?
Family members can be the worst when it comes to being petty, on both sides.
I read about a guy that got a life sentence because the mother turned him in over something minor, but his Asperger’s kept leading him to try and escape from jail.
Democrats don’t serve constituents. They serve the party
Wow!!!
She’s an attractive white woman!
You don’t dress up in a ninja suit and bring burglary tools to do a welfare check.
I’m sure they offered her a sweet deal but she turned it down to try and save her political office. Now she’s at the mercy of the judge.
Too bad she’s a braindead libtard.
Her father died age of 72.. He had been married to Mitchell´s stepmother for 40 years... police responded to the burglary at 4:45 a.m. .. Police found Mitchell in the home’s basement dressed in all black. Officers say they also found a flashlight covered with a black sock nearby.
Mitchell helped introduce a bill calling for criminal penalties for those who fail to meet safe firearm storage standards ..
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4281710/posts
I actually feel sorry for her.
When my grandmother passed away, IMMEDIATELY after her funeral, my aunt tore through her belongings like a tornado - ripping the backs off picture frames and dropping them on the floor, tearing open letters we had sent to my grandmother over the years, looking for money and this was AFTER she backed her car up and loaded up my grandmother’s things we had been promised by my grandmother.
I would grieve my father to my own grave so I can’t judge her at all.
It still hurts, 35 years later.
That gave Democrats a one-vote margin, and, unlike the Republican, Mitchell refused to resign her seat after being charged.
typical DFL’er they all lie and only care about advancing the party
I was expecting the whole, “Is it them, Boo Boo”? commentary.
>> She’s an attractive white woman!
About a seven “hot” (I’m being generous).
Definitely a ten “crazy”!
Things are strange in Somalia-U.S.
No. She’s guilty as hell. Body cam video alone made her a liar.
Plus... Commie Democrat.
Should have hired a lawyer to sort ownership of her father’s personal items. If she wanted to seek assurance of her stepmother’s well-being, she could have requested the police do a wellness check, or petition the court to do so. She acted stupidly. Who in their right mind would believe someone dressed in black in the dead of night inside a home she doesn’t own, was specifically concerned about the care of a step-parent?
Family can be so wonderful.
In my case the wrong siblings (3) keep dying and the a-hole siblings (2) keep living.
Mitchell was also the deciding vote on whether or not to set up a stronger Legislative ethics body.
Right now, there is speculation on if she gets a pardon from Gov Walz or not...
Tampon Tim pardons her in 3....2...1....
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