July 19 (UPI) — A state senator from Minnesota has been found guilty of burglary and breaking into her stepmother’s home after a week-long trial.
A jury this week convicted State Sen. Nicole Mitchell of felony counts of burglary and possession of burglary or theft tools.
The 50-year-old lawyer and former Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard had claimed she was entering the home of her former stepmother Carol Mitchell with permission and was conducting a welfare check.
Detroit Lakes Police Department officers arrested Mitchell in April 2024 at the home in Becker Country, Minn., which is located 49 miles east of the state’s border with North Dakota.
Mitchell was carrying tools and a flashlight covered with a sock at the time of her arrest, which took place around 5 a.m. CDT after her stepmother called 911.
The former TV meteorologist testified in her own defense at trial, claiming she was conducting a wellness check on her stepmother Carol Mitchell, who is 72.
That story differed from the one she told police the night of the arrest when she said she was looking to retrieve items belonging to her father Roderick Mitchell who died in March 2023.
Mitchell was also dressed in all black and told police at the time “clearly I’m not good at this,” after officers found her.
“The defense has repeatedly classified this as a welfare check. You’ve seen all the evidence, the time of night, the outfit, the tools. What does your reason and common sense tell you?” Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald said during his closing address to jurors.
Mitchell is from Woodbury, Minn. and still lives there, where she represents the state’s District 47 after being elected in 2022.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a fellow Democrat, has not weighed in publicly since the verdict.
A felony conviction in Minnesota does not exclude a person from holding political office.
Republicans in the narrowly-divided state senate have previously called for Mitchell to resign and attempted to expel her from the legislature.
A sentencing date has not been announced but the felony convictions do come with the possibility of a prison sentence.
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