Vance Boelter makes first state appearance after federal sentencing for Minnesota lawmaker shootings

Any state conviction of Boelter for the attacks on two Minnesota lawmakers and their families is immune from a presidential pardon.MINNEAPOLIS (CN) — Vance Boelter appeared for the first time in state court Monday, less than two weeks after he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years in federal court for the killings of Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.Boelter, 59, of Green Isle, Minnesota, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder for killing the Hortmans, three counts of attempted first-degree murder for shooting State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and for attempting to shoot their daughter, Hope, and one count of attempted first-degree murder against Representative Kristin Bahner, who was not home when Boelter banged on her front door last June.He also faces counts of animal cruelty for shooting the Hortmans’ dog, Gilbert, and for impersonating an officer.Hennepin County Judge Juan Hoyos oversaw the state proceedings, with Assistant County Attorney Paige Starkey leading the prosecution and attorney Bryan Leary assigned to defend Boelter.Boelter, who made no plea Monday, stood in an enclosed wooden and glass box on the far side of the courtroom, away from a gathering of family members and victims, many of whom attended his federal court hearings.Boelter spoke briefly to Hoyos regarding religious and free speech rights he said were violated during both his initial arrest and while held in isolation at the Sherburne County Jail during his federal proceedings — though the judge said those concerns would be addressed at a later date.Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has made clear the state’s intention to pursue prosecution against Boelter, noting he must face accountability from the state whose representatives were slain.“The targeted political violence he committed was horrific. My thoughts are with Melissa and Mark’s family, as well as John, Yvette, and Hope, as the state prosecution moves forward,” Moriarty said in a July press release.The charges stem from an overnight attack on June 14, 2025, when Boelter attacked the Hoffmans at their home before driving to Bahner’s residence and ultimately arriving at the Hortmans’ Brooklyn Park home, where he fatally shot the former House speaker and her husband.Aside from bringing additional charges, University of Minnesota Law Professor Amy Sweasy said the state’s interest lies in securing a sentence that can’t be presidentially pardoned, unlike federal convictions.“State prosecutors want to insulate against a possible pardon, which would only work if the president were to issue a pardon for some reason against Vance Boelter,” she said in an interview. “It’s hard for me to conceive of what that reason would be, but it’s certainly not impossible.”Sweasy, who worked in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for 28 years, said state and federal prosecutions of the same offense are not uncommon, though typically the federal government would hang back and let the state pursue charges first.“There’s a very strong state interest in pursuing the charges on behalf of the state of Minnesota, given who the victims were and are to the state,” she said.During Boelter’s sentencing in July, 14 victims and family members of the deceased spoke about the harm inflicted that June night, and spoke glowingly of the impact Melissa and Mark Hortman had on the state.“If you have not experienced the murders of not one, but two of your precious children, you cannot imagine the pain, the void that fills every second of your life,” Mark Hortman’s father, J. Carroll Hortman, said — calling Melissa Hortman a brilliant, decisive and persuasive leader.Boelter spoke following victim statements, apologizing to “every person I have caused loss, pain, heartache, confusion, sadness, shame or loneliness” — though his apology largely fell on deaf ears as many left the courtroom.Minnesota may take Boelter’s case to trial, particularly after family members voiced opposition to the federal plea deal that spared Boelter from a trial and the death penalty.Minnesota has no state death penalty, though proceedings will determine whether any state sentence runs consecutively or concurrently to Boelter’s federal sentence.State prosecutors asked Monday to keep Boelter detained at the Hennepin County jail, while his defense requested he be returned to the Sherburne County Jail.Boelter’s next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 2.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads