Former DFL Minnesota state Senator Nicole Mitchell has been sentenced to five years supervised probation and the judge stayed a 21 month prison sentence on Tuesday.
The sentence comes after Mitchell was convicted of burglarizing her stepmother’s home in 2024. The trial in Becker County ended in July. The two guilty charges included felony first-degree burglary and possession of burglary or theft tools
The judge ruled if Mitchell violates the terms of her probation, she would face more prison time.
Mitchell also will have to serve 180 days of work release in Ramsey County. That means she’ll be confined for roughly six months but will be allowed to leave for work each day, then report back to the jail after her shift.
Becker County Judge Michael Fritz also imposed time behind bars for the former Democratic lawmaker.
"Since you are employed, I will allow you to serve your time at the Ramsey County Jail," Fritz told the court. "So that you may keep your job and have income to pay potential restitution and fines."
Before the sentence was read, Mitchell made a statement to the judge.
"Your Honor, I deserve to be here today," Mitchell said. "The things said and the harm I cause are real things and I completely abide by whatever you feel is fair."
The state had asked for a stronger sentence and opposed allowing Mitchell to serve her sentence outside Becker County.
"I messed everything up and I did something wrong, and I will work on being a better person and with whatever is decided here today, trying to use that time to reflect on how I possibly repair this," Mitchell added.
Mitchell resigned her seat in the Minnesota Senate effective July 25. There is a special election for that seat coming up during the general election in November.
Mitchell was found by police officers in the basement of her stepmother's home in Detroit Lakes. It was early in the morning and she claimed she was looking for her late father's belongings, and that her stepmother had Alzheimer's.