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.

Minnesota DFL state Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury testified in her own defense in her felony burglary trial Thursday, claiming the sole reason she broke into her stepmother’s home last year was out of concern for her mental health and well-being as she struggles with Alzheimer’s.

Mitchell had faced bipartisan calls to resign following her arrest, though some defended her right to due process. She faces anywhere from a minimum of six months to a maximum of 20 years behind bars, Fox News reported. Among her supporters was Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, a fellow member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL).

A jury of nine men and three women on Friday convicted Democratic Sen. Nicole Mitchell of felony burglary and possession of burglary tools, concluding a case that has roiled the closely divided Minnesota Senate for over a year.

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.