From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!
Saturday, July 19, 2025
Image: Office of Governor Tim Walz & Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan.
On Friday, Democratic Minnesota state senator Nicole Mitchell was convicted on all burglary charges pertaining to an incident in which she had been accused of breaking and entering the home of her “estranged” stepmother at Detroit Lakes in 2024.
At the time of her incarceration, Mitchell told police that she was at the property in search of her father’s ashes, though she ultimately did not use this defense during her trial. Her lawyer instead stated that she had entered the property to retrieve a welfare check, and that her actions did not constitute burglary.
The BBC said that the senator displayed little in the way of emotion as her verdicts were read to her. She faces 180 days in jail for the convictions, though the judge involved with the trial stated that she could avoid further incarceration pending the results of the sentencing. As of Saturday, a sentencing date has yet to be set.
The office of Minnesota governor Tim Walz stated that it expects Mitchell’s resignation in light of the convictions.
