Constituents to Demand Senator Nicole Mitchell’s Resignation Amidst Felony Charges

(KNSI) — This afternoon, constituents living in Senator Nicole Mitchell’s district will hold a press conference to demand she resign from office.

A press release says Mitchell needs to step down and “stop being a distraction to the important work of the Minnesota Legislature and putting a negative light on communities of Woodbury and Maplewood.”

The event is at 2:00 p.m. at the Capitol.

Mitchell has dug in her heels and refuses to resign. The DFL has stripped her of her committee assignments. It won’t allow her to caucus with her party while her case is under review. However, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy is still allowing her to vote, saying Mitchell has been charged with felony burglary but has not been convicted. Democrats hold a one seat majority, and with time ticking down to the end of the session and several bills left to pass, they need her to cast the deciding vote for disputed legislation. Mitchell has also cast the deciding vote to defeat a call for her own resignation.

Reports said a court document recently filed shows controlled substances found during discovery have been sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension lab for testing. Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald, who is prosecuting the case, told the Star Tribune’s political reporter that this was a mistake. It is not true, and it should have been deleted.

McDonald said he was trying to get the discovery out to her defense team as soon as possible, using a “boilerplate form.”

Mitchell was charged with felony burglary after allegedly breaking into her stepmother’s Detroit Lakes home on April 22nd. She claimed she was after some of her late father’s belongings, including his ashes after her stepmother cut off all contact. The criminal complaint says Mitchell broke in through a window and was found in the basement dressed all in black with a sock covered flashlight and laptop that wasn’t hers.

Mitchell’s next court appearance is June 10th.

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