Crisis for Minnesota Democrats: State Sen. Nicole Mitchell convicted of theft

Minnesota state senator Nicole Mitchell was found guilty of first-degree burglary Friday after she broke into her stepmother's home last year, in an incident that many experts have described as the possible end of the Democratic leader's political career. While Mitchell denied each and every allegation during the trial, she admitted to breaking in through a window of her stepmother's home, according to what was shown on police body camera footage. The Democrat also explained that she had no intention of taking anything from her stepmother's home and that she only entered to check on her health condition.

At the time of her arrest, Mitchell told police, "Clearly, I'm not good at this," and then commented to her stepmother, "I was just trying to get a couple of my dad’s things because you wouldn’t talk to me anymore." The Democratic leader, who is a former meteorologist and lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air National Guard, was arrested in April last year while serving just her first term in the Minnesota state Senate.

Mitchell could spend 20 years behind bars

In a statement, Minnesota Senate Republican leader Mark Johnson condemned Mitchell's actions and said that "her continued participation in the Minnesota Senate leaves the body with a stain on its record for every time her vote was the deciding vote in passing legislation." For her part, Minnesota Senate Democratic Majority Leader Erin Murphy detailed that Mitchell assured both her and her colleagues that she would resign as soon as possible in the event she is found guilty.

While the judge has stopped short of setting an official sentencing date, Mitchell could face prison time, as the aggravated robbery charge carries a minimum sentence of six months behind bars and a maximum of 20 years.