DETROIT LAKES, Minnesota — A Minnesota state senator has pleaded not guilty Breaking into her estranged stepmother’s house after the death of her father.
Sen. Nicole Mitchella Democrat from the St. Paul suburb of Woodbury, was indicted in April. She told the police at the time that she broke into the house in the northwestern Minnesota town of Detroit Lakes because her stepmother refused to give her items of emotional value belonging to her late father, including his ashes, the criminal complaint states.
In a joint court filing Tuesday, defense and prosecution attorneys said Mitchell was pleading not guilty and had asked the court to schedule both a plea bargain and a jury trial.
Both sides also agreed that prosecutors cannot argue that Mitchell stole a laptop that police seized when she was arrested. Ownership of the laptop was disputed. The agreement states, however, that prosecutors can use evidence from the laptop if the case goes to trial.
Mitchell’s arrest brought the 2024 legislative period into turmoilwhich came to a bitter end, and Ethics procedures against her remain on hold pending the development of her criminal case. She denied theft and rejected Republicans’ calls for her resignation. Governor Tim Walz and DFL party chairman Ken Martin also called for her resignationalthough her lawyer said she intends to remain in office while her criminal case continues.
Mitchell was relieved of their committee duties and group meetings but remained the deciding vote for Democrats must push through their agenda in the last legislative period with its one-seat majority, including numerous last-minute bills at the end of the session.
Mitchell was dressed all in black and wearing a black hat when she was arrested, the complaint states. She is also quoted as saying: “I know I did something bad.”
Her lawyer said the dispute with her stepmother was the result of a “broken relationship” that had been exacerbated by age-related problems.
Mitchell’s father died in March 2023 at the age of 72, according to his obituary. He was married to Mitchell’s stepmother for 40 years, it was said.
Mitchell, who has also served as a television meteorologist and commander of the Air National Guard, was elected in 2022 and is in her first term.
