Minnesota lawmaker convicted of felony burglary for breaking into estranged stepmother’s home

A Minnesota state senator was convicted of burglary Friday for breaking into her estranged stepmother’s home, and faced calls for her immediate resignation from a closely divided chamber where she holds a deciding vote.

After about three hours of deliberations, the jury found Democratic state Sen. Nicole Mitchell, 51, guilty of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools. She told police right after her arrest that she went there to search for her father's ashes and other mementos, but tried to back away from that story on the witness stand.

Mitchell displayed little emotion as the verdicts were read.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy was quick to issue a statement saying that Mitchell has told colleagues that she planned to resign if convicted, “and I expect her to follow through on that pledge.”

Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson reiterated the GOP's long-standing demand for immediate resignation or face expulsion.

Gov. Tim Walz's office said he expects her to resign. But one of Mitchell's attorneys, Dane DeKrey, said in text messages that he didn't know if she would heed the calls. He said they're exploring their options for an appeal.

The Democrat from the St. Paul suburb of Woodbury maintained her innocence and refused to resign since her arrest in the early hours of April 22, 2024, at her stepmother’s home in the northwestern Minnesota city of Detroit Lakes.

Mitchell’s father died in 2023 at the age of 72. He had been married to Mitchell’s stepmother, Carol Mitchell, for nearly 40 years.

The jury saw bodycam video of Mitchell telling police repeatedly after her arrest that she broke into the home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her father, including some of his ashes, photos and a flannel shirt.

The first-term senator was dressed in all-black and had a flashlight covered with a black sock when she was arrested. The video showed her telling police, “Clearly, I’m not good at this,” and “I know I did something bad.”

But Mitchell testified Thursday that despite what she told police, she didn’t really intend to take anything. She said she had become increasingly concerned about her stepmother’s worsening memory problems and paranoia, and wanted to check on her well-being. She testified her stepmother was afraid of being put in a nursing home. Mitchell said she thought her stepmom would be less upset to hear she wanted some of her father’s items than to have her competency questioned.

The former broadcast meteorologist and now-retired Air National Guard officer was convicted of one count of first-degree burglary of an occupied dwelling, a felony that carries a mandatory minimum of six months in jail if there's an intent to steal. She was also convicted on a count of possessing burglary tools, a lesser felony without a mandatory minimum.

The judge did not set a sentencing date.

The prosecutor, Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald urged jurors Friday to focus on “the many lies of Nicole Mitchell” and evaluate her testimony with reason and common sense. And he urged them to review the body camera video showing what she told police after her arrest.

“I submit to you she was telling the truth on April 22nd, 2024. And if you believe that she was telling the truth to the officers, then you know she had the intent to steal. She told you. She told the officers.”

Defense attorney Bruce Ringstrom Jr. told the jury that Mitchell did not steal anything and did not intend to. He conceded that she used poor judgment. He said everybody has told “white lies,” and that Mitchell’s goal was to avoid aggravating her stepmother’s distrust even further.

“We all know the difference between a white lie and a meaningful, damaging one,” Ringstrom said. “The problem is that this happened in the context of something that was a terrible mess, a mess that Nicole made. But it was a mess.”

Under such difficult circumstances, Ringstrom argued, “Nicole’s white lies make perfect sense.”

Mitchell’s rejection of calls for her resignation after her arrest frayed relations between Democrats and Republicans in the narrowly divided state Senate.

Democrats hold only a one-seat majority in the Senate, so they needed her vote. They said she deserved to have the legal process play out.

Republicans periodically tried to kick her out of the chamber but lacked the votes. The Senate can't vote to expel her until it next convenes, and it's not due to meet again until February.

If she resigns, the governor would schedule a special election. His office said it would provide more information soon. Mitchell's district mostly votes Democratic. The Harris-Walz ticket carried it with 61% of the vote last year.

Bruce Ringstrom Jr., one of three attorneys representing Minn. state Sen. Nicole Mitchell, D-Woodbury, in her felony burglary trial, is seen on the fifth day of the trial, Friday, July 18, 2025, at Becker County District Court in Detroit Lakes, Minn. (Anna Paige/The Forum via AP, Pool)

Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald makes his closing arguments during the fifth day of the felony burglary trial of Minn. state Sen. Nicole Mitchell, D-Woodbury, on Friday, July 18, 2025, at Becker County District Court in Detroit Lakes, Minn. (Anna Paige/The Forum via AP, Pool)

Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell, D-Woodbury, listens to closing arguments during the fifth day of her felony burglary trial, Friday, July 18, 2025, at Becker County District Court in Detroit Lakes, Minn. (Anna Paige/The Forum via AP, Pool)

Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell, D-Woodbury, listens to the state's closing arguments during the fifth day of her felony burglary trial on Friday, July 18, 2025, at Becker County District Court in Detroit Lakes. To the right of Sen. Mitchell are her attorneys Matthew Keller, Dane DeKrey and Bruce Ringstrom Jr. (Anna Paige/The Forum via AP, Pool)

Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell, D-Woodbury, is seen during the fifth day of her felony burglary trial, Friday, July 18, 2025, at Becker County District Court in Detroit Lakes, Minn. (Anna Paige/The Forum via AP, Pool)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)