Sen. Nicole Mitchell took the stand in her own defense in her felony burglary trial Thursday, depicting herself as a concerned stepdaughter who took steps to conduct a welfare check on her stepmother without being seen.

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.

The prosecution and defense put the fate of Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell in the hands of a jury Friday, as both sides gave closing arguments on felony burglary charges that could hold political consequences as well as criminal.

In the criminal trial of Sen. Nicole Mitchell, jurors are hearing more about her relationship with Carol Mitchell, the stepmother whose house she allegedly broke into in April 2024.