Minnesota State Senator Found Guilty of Burglary, Faces Up to 20 Years in Prison

Minnesota state Senator Nicole Mitchell has been convicted of felony burglary, more than a year after authorities arrested her for unlawfully entering her stepmother’s home.

The court ruling, handed down on Friday, concluded a high-profile legal process that sparked calls from both political parties for Mitchell to step down. While some insisted on allowing the legal system to run its course, others demanded her immediate resignation. Now, she awaits sentencing, which could range from six months to two decades behind bars, according to Fox News.

Erin Murphy, the Senate Majority Leader and fellow member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, responded to the verdict in a public statement.

“Senator Mitchell has undergone due process with a fair trial and a jury verdict. I welcome the clarity this decision brings,” Murphy said in a DFL news release.

“She previously told colleagues she would resign if found guilty, and I expect she will uphold that promise. Our caucus remains focused on delivering for Minnesota families,” she added.

Mitchell was arrested in April 2024, after reportedly breaking into her stepmother Carol Mitchell’s residence. She claimed she only entered the home to retrieve sentimental belongings of her late father. She also cited concern for Carol, who she said was struggling with Alzheimer’s disease.

Testifying in court, Mitchell admitted to unlawfully entering the home and not being fully truthful with police, though she insisted her intentions were rooted in family care rather than criminal motives.

During the trial, jurors viewed police footage showing Mitchell in handcuffs inside a squad car. In the video, she told officers she was trying to collect items that had belonged to her father, adding, “Clearly, I’m not good at this.”

She explained that her stepmother had cut off communication, leaving her no choice but to enter the home on her own.

Bodycam footage captured Carol Mitchell speaking to officers during the arrest. “She’s my stepdaughter,” Carol told them, later clarifying that Nicole held public office.

“She’s a senator?” an officer asked.

“Yes—well, she was,” Carol replied, before correcting herself: “She still is. I just meant… after this.”

If Mitchell chooses to resign, Governor Tim Walz would be responsible for calling a special election to fill her Senate seat.

Mitchell stated she was attempting to recover personal items such as her father’s ashes, old photographs, clothing, and mementos. Officers, however, found her with a flashlight wrapped in a black sock, and a backpack containing two laptops, a cellphone, a driver’s license, her Senate ID, and Tupperware containers.

She was discovered lying on the floor as officers placed her in handcuffs.

“I only came to get a few things of my dad’s because she wouldn’t talk to me anymore,” Mitchell explained to police at the time.

Prosecutors alleged that Mitchell had carefully planned the break-in, citing how she parked her vehicle at a distance from the home. Her defense team countered that her actions were motivated by concern for her stepmother’s well-being.

During her court appearance, Carol Mitchell shared how the incident left her feeling “deeply violated.”

The case arrives during a turbulent period in Minnesota politics. Just last month, two Democratic lawmakers—State Senator John Hoffman and former House Speaker Melissa Hortman—were shot in separate incidents by an assailant posing as a police officer. Hoffman and his spouse survived their attack, but Hortman and her husband tragically died from their injuries.