Former Minnesota state senator sentenced to six months for burglary, to serve on work release

A former Minnesota state senator was sentenced Tuesday to six months in jail for burglary, but she will be allowed to serve her time on work release in Ramsey County, where she now lives. Becker County District Judge Michael Fritz also stayed a 21-month prison term on the condition that she abide by the terms of probation. Nicole Mitchell, 51, of Woodbury, faced a minimum sentence of six months on the felony burglary count because her estranged stepmother was at home in Detroit Lakes when she broke in last year.

Mitchell was arrested in the basement of her stepmother Carol Mitchell’s home in the early hours of April 22, 2024, wearing dark clothing and carrying a flashlight. Body camera video shown to the jury captured her telling police, “Clearly, I’m not good at this,” and “I know I did something bad.” Prosecutors said the motive cited at trial included a request for mementos from her late father’s belongings, which her stepmother refused to give. Mitchell later testified that she did not intend to steal anything and that she had gone to check on her stepmother, who has Alzheimer’s disease, a claim she later recanted on the stand.

Mitchell did not resign her Senate seat until July 25, one week after a jury convicted her of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools. The jury’s verdict came after a trial in which prosecutors presented the basement-entry scene and the retrieved items found at the scene. The defense contended that Mitchell’s goal was to check on the well-being of her stepmother rather than to steal, and that any belongings taken were not intended for personal gain. The judge’s decision to allow work release was framed as a probationary alternative to incarceration, with Mitchell required to report for her sentence by Oct. 8. Her lawyers indicated they would appeal the verdict.

The sentencing comes amid questions about accountability and political timing. Mitchell represented a Democratic-leaning suburban district in a chamber that has been narrowly divided, often placing her in the position of casting deciding votes that could sway control of the Senate. The timing of her resignation and the ensuing vacancy prompted Gov. Tim Walz to call special elections for Nov. 4 to fill Mitchell’s seat as well as the seat of Republican Sen. Bruce Anderson of Buffalo, who died in July. Unless an upset occurs, Senate Democrats are expected to retain a 64-63 majority.

Prosecutors argued that Mitchell’s sentence reflected preferential treatment for a former colleague and criticized her for not resigning sooner. Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald said the arrangement to serve outside Becker County was inappropriate and highlighted a lack of accountability. The defense, while acknowledging the harm caused, said the case would be appealed and that Mitchell’s actions did not demonstrate a pattern of criminal conduct. In a victim impact statement read by the prosecutor, Carol Mitchell described fear and a lasting sense of violation that she said will accompany her indefinitely.

Mitchell had previously worked in broadcasting and as a meteorologist in the U.S. military before entering politics. The case highlighted the personal and political complexities surrounding a public official who found herself at the center of a criminal case that intersected with a closely watched state Senate landscape. The outcome leaves unresolved questions about how similar cases are prosecuted and how sentences are applied to former public officers who seek to resume ordinary lives after political careers.