A Democratic lawmaker intends to resign after a court found her guilty of felony burglary for breaking into the home of her estranged stepmother, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
Nicole Mitchell, a 51-year-old Minnesota state senator, initially told police following her arrest last April she had entered the property to retrieve a number of belongings, including her father’s ashes, that her stepmother Carol Mitchell had refused to hand over, ABC News reports.
She later revised her statement at trial, claiming she hadn’t gone in with a desire to take any items, and that she’d only wanted to check in on Carol’s well-being.
The jury reportedly deliberated only three hours Friday before returning a guilty verdict on charges of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools.
Following Mitchell’s conviction, Minnesota’s Democratic Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said the state senator had previously told fellow lawmakers she would resign if she were found guilty, adding, “I expect her to follow through on that pledge.”
While some of Mitchell’s colleagues have called for her to vacate her post with immediate effect, the lawmaker says she will need a further two weeks to get her legislative affairs settled. She said she also wants to arrange new health insurance for her son and plans to leave office on August 4.
Mark Johnson, the State Senate’s Republican Leader, has slammed Mitchell’s proposed notice period, calling it unnecessary and a ploy by his political opponents to hold onto their legislative advantage a little while longer.
“Senator Mitchell was convicted of two felonies; she doesn’t get to give the Senate two weeks’ notice,” he said in a statement. “The only reason Mitchell is still in office is because Democrats needed her vote to pass their agenda and refused to hold her accountable during session.”
