Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell. (Photo by Anna Paige/Fargo Forum pool photo via the North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – A jury of nine men and three women 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.

The jury deliberated for just over three hours Friday and asked no questions of the judge.

Mitchell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the burglary charge. She faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison for the burglary tools conviction.

The verdict will almost certainly change the makeup of the state Senate, where Democrats currently hold a 34-33 majority. If Mitchell resigns, she’ll be replaced in a special election in what has been a solidly blue district in the past decade. If not, the Senate can expel her with a two-thirds vote, but they are not scheduled to come into session until next year. Only Gov. Tim Walz can call a special session.