Judge allows cameras in court for Nicole Mitchell trial

A Becker County judge has granted media requests to record and photograph state Sen. Nicole Mitchell’s upcoming burglary trial.

Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, faces one count of first-degree burglary in connection with an alleged break-in at her stepmother’s Detroit Lakes home last April. She has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

In an order issued on Monday, Becker County District Judge Michael Fritz stated he would permit news outlets — including 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS — to capture still photographs and audio and visual recordings of the proceedings but live streams and live television broadcasts will not be allowed.

Fritz said the high-profile nature of the case favors this degree of media access.

“As an elected member of the Minnesota State Senate, Ms. Mitchell is a public figure, and there is therefore a heightened public interest in this case,” Fritz wrote.

The judge added that media recording of the trial “will likely benefit transparency, public education, and public trust and confidence in the proceedings and the judicial system.”

The senator’s trial, which is set to begin with jury selection on Jan. 27, will be the first in Minnesota to allow video recording since the 2022 trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter, who was convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting Daunte Wright.

As previously reported, Mitchell was brought into custody on the morning of April 22 after her stepmother reported a disturbance in her home. Police found Mitchell in the basement, dressed in all black and carrying a backpack containing two laptops, a cellphone, plastic containers, her driver’s license and Senate ID.

Mitchell allegedly told officers, “Clearly I’m not good at this,” and explained she had come to the house to retrieve items belonging to her late father, including his ashes, a criminal complaint states.

Elected officials on both sides of the aisle — including DFL Gov. Tim Walz — have urged Mitchell to resign her seat.

Republicans initiated an ethics investigation two days after Mitchell’s arrest and, upon her return to the Senate floor, demanded she be stripped of her vote.

DFL leadership removed Mitchell from committee assignments and caucus meetings, but with a one-seat Senate majority in the balance, party members largely held off on publicly calling for her resignation until after the legislative session had ended.

The Senate is currently in a 33-33 tie pending a Jan. 28 special election to fill the District 60 seat vacant following the death of Sen. Kari Dziedzic, a Minneapolis Democrat. The outcome of Mitchell’s trial could once again throw the balance of power in limbo, as the ethics investigation into her conduct remains on hold while her criminal trial plays out.

Appearing in court for a settlement conference on New Year’s Eve, Mitchell did not acknowledge questions by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on whether she planned to step down.