Becker County, MN (trfnews.i234.me) – Minnesota State Senator Nicole Mitchell, representing DFL-Woodbury, has pleaded not guilty to felony burglary charges in a highly contentious case unfolding in Becker County. Mitchell stands accused of unlawfully entering a Detroit Lakes residence, where her stepmother resides, and taking items that belonged to her late father during an incident in April.
A legal twist emerged as a stipulation filed on August 27 prohibited the state from alleging that Mitchell stole a laptop from the home, a device that has since been forensically examined, though further details remain undisclosed.
Mitchell’s defense team has withdrawn a previous motion to dismiss the case for lack of probable cause, opting instead to push for a settlement conference and jury trial, for which a date is yet to be determined.
The case has ignited political tensions, with Republicans urging Mitchell’s resignation from the Minnesota Senate, where Democrats once held a slim majority. The political landscape further shifted after Sen. Kelly Morrison, DFL-Deephaven, vacated her seat to pursue a U.S. House campaign, leaving both parties evenly split in the Senate.