Former Minnesota state senator sentenced to six months in jail with work release in stepmother burglary case

A former Minnesota state senator was sentenced Tuesday to six months in jail, with four months to be served on work release, after being convicted on two burglary charges connected to a break-in at her stepmother’s Detroit Lakes home in April 2024. Prosecutors said Nicole Mitchell, 50, entered the home wearing an all-black outfit with the intent to steal her late father’s ashes amid a longstanding family dispute.

The sentencing judge, Michael Fritz, ordered Mitchell to serve the term in Ramsey County, where she resides, and noted that she will also be subject to five years of probation after her release. Under Minnesota law, defendants are required to serve two-thirds of their sentence, meaning four months will be spent on work release, with day-time employment during the period and custody at night. The arrangement drew scrutiny from Becker County prosecutors, who described the travel and location terms as preferential treatment.

Mitchell’s defense had urged the court to downgrade the two felony burglary convictions to misdemeanors, arguing a lighter sentence was appropriate given her public role and the tumult of the past year. Prosecutors countered that Mitchell’s conduct showed she could not be treated differently because of her status as a former lawmaker and that she had been allowed to remain in office for over a year after the break-in, continuing to craft legislation and collect a taxpayer-funded paycheck.

During the hearing, Mitchell apologized to the court, calling her actions ridiculous, illegal and selfish. She told the judge that she understood the impact of her conduct and acknowledged that apologies sometimes come too late. The defense characterized her as publicly tarred and feathered, arguing that a felon designation for life would be overly punitive.

The case timeline shows the break-in occurred around 4:45 a.m. on April 22, 2024, after Becker County deputies were dispatched to the home following a reported burglary. Body-worn camera footage captured Mitchell in the basement, where officers ordered her to surrender. In interviews after the arrest, Mitchell alternated between explanations—initially claiming she was there to take her father’s ashes, then later saying she was visiting to check on her stepmother, who has Alzheimer's disease.

Jonathan Kuehl, the biological son of Mitchell’s stepmother, testified at trial that the intrusion terrified his mother, who remained high-functioning despite the advancing dementia. He said the incident occurred against a backdrop of tense discussions about the handling and interment of his grandfather’s remains. The defense argued that the focus on the stepmother’s Alzheimer’s was a distracting narrative meant to shift blame, while the prosecutor stressed that the defendant’s primary objective appeared to be reclaiming personal belongings tied to her father.

Mitchell’s decision to remain in office after the allegations drew criticism from Becker County and from state officials. Gov. Tim Walz and other leading Democrats faced pressure to call for her resignation. Mitchell, however, refused to step down, a stance she maintained through the trial and into sentencing.

The six-month sentence, with four months on work release, marks the end of the immediate legal chapter, though Mitchell will remain under court supervision for five years on probation. She is expected to begin reporting to work release on October 1, per the judge’s order. The decision highlights ongoing questions about accountability for public officials facing criminal charges and the handling of cases involving high-profile lawmakers.