Latest news with #DetroitLakes
CBS News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell resigns following conviction in burglary trial
Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell has resigned from office one week after she was found guilty on both charges in her burglary trial. Mitchell announced her resignation in a Facebook post on Friday afternoon. "I am stepping down from my MN Senate seat today, but I cannot do that without expressing my gratitude," Mitchell said. "Thank you to my family, friends, and constituents who shared with me the issues they care about and trusted me to work on their behalf. It has been a true honor to serve the state of Minnesota and the community I grew up in." Mitchell was convicted on July 18 of felony first-degree burglary and possession of burglary or theft tools for breaking into her stepmother's Detroit Lakes home in April 2024. The jurors deliberated for just over three hours following four days of testimony. Her defense attorneys said on Monday that she needed to "wrap up outstanding legislative projects ... complete ongoing constituent services ... transition legislative staff ... [and] obtain health insurance for her son" before her resignation. The now-former Democratic state senator represented parts of Woodbury and Maplewood. Gov. Tim Walz's office is expected to announce details about a special election after Mitchell's resignation. There is another special election set for September to fill a vacancy left by former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman's politically-motivated assassination. Note: The above video first aired on July 18, 2025.
CBS News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
State Sen. Nicole Mitchell will resign after guilty verdict in burglary trial
A Minnesota state senator says she will resign from her seat after she was found guilty Friday of burglarizing her stepmother's home. Nicole Mitchell was convicted of felony first-degree burglary and possession of burglary or theft tools for breaking into her stepmother's Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, home on April 22, 2024. The jurors deliberated for just over three hours following four days of testimony. Her defense attorneys announced Monday her resignation will come no later than 5 p.m. on Aug. 4. The announcement said she needs time to "wrap up outstanding legislative projects ... complete ongoing constituent services ... transition legislative staff ... [and] obtain health insurance for her son." Nicole Mitchell, a Democrat, represents parts of Woodbury and Maplewood. Her resignation leaves the Minnesota Senate tied, as Democrats held a one-seat majority during the 2025 session. Leaders in the Minnesota Legislature and the governor's office previously said they expected Nicole Mitchell to resign. Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said Nicole Mitchell "told colleagues that she intended to resign if found guilty of this crime, and I expect her to follow through on that pledge." Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson said the verdict confirms Nicole Mitchell's actions "failed to meet the level of ethical behavior we expect from elected officials, and her continued participation in the Minnesota Senate leaves the body with a stain on its record for every time her vote was the deciding vote in passing legislation." Gov. Tim Walz's office is expected to announce details about a special election after Nicole Mitchell's resignation. Nicole Mitchell pleaded not guilty, and during the trial, her defense argued that she was at the home to check on her stepmother, who lives with Alzheimer's. Nicole Mitchell herself spent more than five hours on the witness stand, testifying about her relationship with her stepmother, which she said had become increasingly turbulent following her father's death and her stepmother's Alzheimer's diagnosis. Nicole Mitchell's stepmother Carol Mitchell also took the stand, saying that she felt "extremely violated" after finding Nicole Mitchell in her home. The judge overseeing the trial said Nicole Mitchell could remain free until her sentencing date, which has not been set. She faces a mandatory minimum of 180 days in jail.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minnesota lawmaker convicted of felony burglary for breaking into estranged stepmother's home
Minnesota State Senator Arrested A Minnesota state senator was convicted of burglary Friday for breaking into her estranged stepmother's home, and faced calls for her immediate resignation from a closely divided chamber where she holds a deciding vote. After about three hours of deliberations, the jury found Democratic state Sen. Nicole Mitchell, 51, guilty of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools. She told police right after her arrest that she went there to search for her father's ashes and other mementos, but tried to back away from that story on the witness stand. Mitchell displayed little emotion as the verdicts were read. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy was quick to issue a statement saying that Mitchell has told colleagues that she planned to resign if convicted, 'and I expect her to follow through on that pledge.' Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson reiterated the GOP's long-standing demand for immediate resignation or face expulsion. Gov. Tim Walz's office said he expects her to resign. But one of Mitchell's attorneys, Dane DeKrey, said in text messages that he didn't know if she would heed the calls. He said they're exploring their options for an appeal. The Democrat from the St. Paul suburb of Woodbury maintained her innocence and refused to resign since her arrest in the early hours of April 22, 2024, at her stepmother's home in the northwestern Minnesota city of Detroit Lakes. Mitchell's father died in 2023 at the age of 72. He had been married to Mitchell's stepmother, Carol Mitchell, for nearly 40 years. The jury saw bodycam video of Mitchell telling police repeatedly after her arrest that she broke into the home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her father, including some of his ashes, photos and a flannel shirt. The first-term senator was dressed in all-black and had a flashlight covered with a black sock when she was arrested. The video showed her telling police, 'Clearly, I'm not good at this,' and 'I know I did something bad.' But Mitchell testified Thursday that despite what she told police, she didn't really intend to take anything. She said she had become increasingly concerned about her stepmother's worsening memory problems and paranoia, and wanted to check on her well-being. She testified her stepmother was afraid of being put in a nursing home. Mitchell said she thought her stepmom would be less upset to hear she wanted some of her father's items than to have her competency questioned. The former broadcast meteorologist and now-retired Air National Guard officer was convicted of one count of first-degree burglary of an occupied dwelling, a felony that carries a mandatory minimum of six months in jail if there's an intent to steal. She was also convicted on a count of possessing burglary tools, a lesser felony without a mandatory minimum. The judge did not set a sentencing date. The prosecutor, Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald urged jurors Friday to focus on 'the many lies of Nicole Mitchell' and evaluate her testimony with reason and common sense. And he urged them to review the body camera video showing what she told police after her arrest. 'I submit to you she was telling the truth on April 22nd, 2024. And if you believe that she was telling the truth to the officers, then you know she had the intent to steal. She told you. She told the officers.' Defense attorney Bruce Ringstrom Jr. told the jury that Mitchell did not steal anything and did not intend to. He conceded that she used poor judgment. He said everybody has told 'white lies,' and that Mitchell's goal was to avoid aggravating her stepmother's distrust even further. 'We all know the difference between a white lie and a meaningful, damaging one,' Ringstrom said. 'The problem is that this happened in the context of something that was a terrible mess, a mess that Nicole made. But it was a mess.' Under such difficult circumstances, Ringstrom argued, 'Nicole's white lies make perfect sense.' Mitchell's rejection of calls for her resignation after her arrest frayed relations between Democrats and Republicans in the narrowly divided state Senate. Democrats hold only a one-seat majority in the Senate, so they needed her vote. They said she deserved to have the legal process play out. Republicans periodically tried to kick her out of the chamber but lacked the votes. The Senate can't vote to expel her until it next convenes, and it's not due to meet again until February. If she resigns, the governor would schedule a special election. His office said it would provide more information soon. Mitchell's district mostly votes Democratic. The Harris-Walz ticket carried it with 61% of the vote last year.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Yahoo
Minn. State Senator Found Guilty of Breaking Into Her Stepmother's House
NEED TO KNOW Minnesota State Senator Nicole Mitchell was found guilty of felony first-degree burglary and possession of burglary or theft tools She broke into her stepmother's home in Detroit Lakes, Minn., in 2024 She faces a mandatory minimum of 180 days in jailMinnesota State Senator Nicole Mitchell was found guilty of felony first-degree burglary and possession of burglary or theft tools for breaking into her stepmother's home in Detroit Lakes, Minn., by a Becker County jury on Friday, July 18. Mitchell, 50, who is from Woodbury, Minn., allegedly broke into the home on April 22, 2024, dressed in black and equipped with a flashlight covered with a sock, per local news outlet MPR News. The jury of nine men and three women deliberated for about three hours after getting the case at 12:38 p.m. local time on July 18. The state senator claimed that she entered her stepmother's house without permission for a welfare check on Carol Mitchell, who allegedly has Alzheimer's disease. This was contrary to what she told police officers who arrested her after Carol called 911 to report an intruder at the time, the outlet reports. Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald brought up the police body cam footage during his closing arguments. He began by repeating a statement Mitchell made while in police custody: "I know I did something bad.' McDonald added, 'Now she wants to lie about it.' He continued, 'This is convenient testimony by an admitted liar. Ladies and gentlemen, do not buy it.' The Becker County attorney concluded that he was "pleased for Carol Mitchell, for some justice." Mitchell's Defense attorney Dane DeKrey said his team said there are "arguments for mercy" in Nicole Mitchell's sentencing. The judge overseeing the trial said Mitchell could remain free pending sentencing. A date for sentencing has not yet been set, per CBS News. She faces a mandatory minimum of 180 days in jail, the outlet reports. Take PEOPLE with you! to get the latest details on celebrity news, exclusive royal updates, how-it-happened true crime stories and more — right to your mailbox. Democratic Minn. Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said 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." Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson said the verdict confirms Nicole Mitchell's actions "failed to meet the level of ethical behavior we expect from elected officials, and her continued participation in the Minnesota Senate leaves the body with a stain on its record for every time her vote was the deciding vote in passing legislation." Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
State senator found guilty in cat burglary case after shocking footage showed her robbing stepmother
A Minnesota state senator was convicted of burglary after she was caught breaking into the home of her estranged stepmother. Democratic lawmaker Nicole Mitchell, 51, was found guilty of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools in court on Friday. Mitchell was caught in the act while dressed in all black while at her stepmother's home in the northwestern Minnesota city of Detroit Lakes in April of last year. She told police that she went there to search for her father's ashes and other mementos, but tried to back away from that story on the witness stand. Footage of her arrest, shown earlier this week, showed her telling police, 'Clearly, I'm not good at this,' and 'I know I did something bad.' The former broadcast meteorologist and now-retired Air National Guard officer was convicted of one count of first-degree burglary of an occupied dwelling, a felony that carries a mandatory minimum of six months in jail if there's an intent to steal. Mitchell's father Roderick died in 2023 at the age of 72. He had been married to Mitchell's stepmother, Carol Mitchell, for nearly 40 years. She testified on Thursday that, despite what she told the cops, she didn't intend to take anything. She testified her stepmother was afraid of being put in a nursing home. Mitchell said she thought her stepmom would be less upset to hear she wanted some of her father's items than to have her competency questioned. Mitchell said she had become increasingly concerned about her stepmother's worsening memory problems and paranoia, and wanted to check on her well-being. She was also convicted on a count of possessing burglary tools, a lesser felony without a mandatory minimum. The prosecution, led by Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald urged jurors Friday to focus on 'the many lies of Nicole Mitchell'. He told the jury to evaluate her testimony with reason and common sense. And he urged them to review the video showing what she told police after her arrest. He said: 'I submit to you she was telling the truth on April 22nd, 2024. And if you believe that she was telling the truth to the officers, then you know she had the intent to steal. She told you. She told the officers.' Defense attorney Bruce Ringstrom Jr. told the jury that Mitchell did not steal anything and did not intend to. He conceded that she used poor judgment. He said everybody has told 'white lies,' and that Mitchell's goal was to avoid aggravating her stepmother´s distrust even further. 'We all know the difference between a white lie and a meaningful, damaging one,' Ringstrom said. 'The problem is that this happened in the context of something that was a terrible mess, a mess that Nicole made. But it was a mess.' Police entered the home of her stepmother after she made a 911 call reporting, 'Somebody's broken into my house.' Upon arrival at the house, a seemingly terrified Carol directed them to the location of the intruder in the basement – where her stepdaughter was then discovered and handcuffed. Following Mitchell's arrest upon discovery, the senator called out to her stepmom, 'It's Nicole. I was just trying to get some of my dad's things because you wouldn't talk to me anymore.' When the police officer asked Carol how she knew the intruder, she replied, 'She's my stepdaughter. She's also a Minnesota senator.' Officers reportedly found a crowbar and a backpack containing two laptops on the scene. Mitchell's father died without a will and a probate court awarded Carol 100 percent of his estate. This decision led to a familial dispute over the finances, with Carol accusing Mitchell of 'trying to get money.' In her testimony, Carol said she felt 'extremely violated' when her home was broken into. 'It was frightening,' she said. 'I didn't dare to stay there. I moved out.' Democratic Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy was quick to issue a statement saying that Mitchell has told colleagues that she planned to resign if convicted. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson reiterated the GOP's long-standing demand for immediate resignation or face expulsion. Gov. Tim Walz's office said he expects her to resign. But one of Mitchell's attorneys, Dane DeKrey, said in text messages to the Associated Press that he didn't know if she would heed the calls. He said they're exploring their options for an appeal. If she resigns, the governor would schedule a special election. His office said it would provide more information soon. Mitchell's district mostly votes Democratic. The Harris-Walz ticket carried it with 61% of the vote last year.
