Politics
NEW: Prominent Democrat Convicted Of Felony Burglary
A Democratic state senator in Minnesota was convicted on Friday of felony burglary after police officers found her rummaging through the home of her stepmother in a bizarre scene captured on viral bodycam footage.
State Senator Nicole Mitchell sat silently as a Detroit Lakes jury announced it had found her guilty of breaking into her stepmother’s home last year. Mitchell told officers at the time that she entered to perform a wellness check after being unable to reach the elderly woman by phone.
Officers responded to a report of a break-in at the home, where they found Mitchell clad in black with latex gloves, a crowbar, and a flashlight covered by a black sock. She confessed about lying to police, blaming it on concern for her stepmother, and changed her explanation to say that she was attempting to retrieve items that belonged to her late father.
“It’s not a reason to break into anybody’s house,” the officer responded.
“I don’t know if it means anything but she’s a state senator,” one officer could be heard telling another officer in the bodycam footage.
“I was just trying to get a few of my dad’s things because he wouldn’t talk to me anymore,” the Democratic lawmaker told officers in the minute-long clip from her 2024 arrest.
As she’s cuffed and led to the cruiser, Mitchell shouts desperately, “No one stole anything here!”
Mitchell’s stepmother, Carol Mitchell, suffers from Alzheimer’s and proved to be an unreliable witness at trial. She failed to recall where her stepdaughter was located by police in the home or what items there belonged to her late husband.
“I’m bad at that,” she replied when asked by Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald what year she met Mitchell’s father, Roderick.
Despite uncertain witness testimony, the jury convicted Mitchell of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools, which carry maximum prison sentences of 20 years and three years, respectively.
Her attorney stated that she plans to appeal the conviction.
Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, a Democrat, previously said that Mitchell deserved her day in court and rebuffed calls for her resignation as premature prior to the verdict.
“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 following 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.”
Mitchell has not yet resigned as promised, but she may be forced to soon. She faces a minimum sentence of six months in jail.
If she refuses to resign, Governor Tim Walz may call a special assembly of the legislature for an expulsion vote. Doing so would require a two-thirds vote from her fellow senators, the Post Millennial reports.