On Friday, Democratic Minnesota State Senator Nicole Mitchell was convicted of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools for breaking into her stepmother’s home in Detroit Lakes on April 22, 2024. Mitchell, who had delayed resigning from the state senate, announced her departure only after the guilty verdict was handed down.
Her conviction was widely seen as inevitable, given the evidence presented at trial. On the stand, Mitchell claimed she entered the home to perform a “welfare check.” However, that explanation was contradicted by police body-camera footage showing her dressed in all-black clothing and wearing a ski mask, which she hadn’t pulled down over her face.
During her arrest, Mitchell admitted to officers that she was “just trying to get some of my dad’s things,” further undermining her defense. “I know I did something bad,” Mitchell told one officer, CNS News reported.
Although Mitchell’s conviction seemed all but certain, she testified that she was simply at her stepmother’s home to perform a “welfare check.” Mitchell even alleged in court that she and her stepmother had always been close, yet her stepmother refuted the claim in court, stating “Nicole never let me get close to her,” and that she felt “extremely violated” by Mitchell’s invasion of her home.
The jury took just three hours to return a guilty verdict. Mitchell now faces a sentence ranging from a minimum of 180 days to a maximum of 20 years in prison. However, the judge presiding over the case has allowed her to remain free until sentencing, which is set for September 10.
Following the verdict, Mitchell submitted her two-week notice to the Minnesota Senate, scheduling her resignation for August 4, 2025. She cited the need to secure insurance coverage for her son before stepping down, CNS News noted further.
