Convicted political assassin Vance Boelter appeared in Hennepin County District Court on Monday for his first appearance on state murder charges, where he asked twincities.com Boelter questioned whether the court process would examine what he claimed were five meetings he had with elected officials in Washington, D.C., in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2023 after being flown there at taxpayers’ expense, asking, Or is she above the law in this case?
Vance Boelter Asks Judge to Summon Sen. Amy Klobuchar at State Court Hearing
In response to Boelter’s comments, Klobuchar stated on Monday afternoon: We have found no record of my ever meeting or speaking with this murderer who will be spending the rest of his life in prison.
Judge Hoyos replied to Boelter’s courtroom inquiry by stating, That’s a question I can’t answer for you today.
During the brief appearance, Boelter’s public defender waived a reading of the eight-count indictment and waived arguments on his $5 million bail, asking instead that Boelter remain in federal custody during the state proceedings. The judge did not immediately rule on the custody and detention requests.
State Charges and Background of the Case
Boelter, 59, of Green Isle, Minnesota, did not enter a plea during his first appearance on the state charges, which stem from an overnight attack on June 14, 2025. The state charges include:
- First-degree premeditated murder (Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman)
- First-degree premeditated murder (Mark Hortman)
- Attempted first-degree murder (Sen. John Hoffman)
- Attempted first-degree murder (Yvette Hoffman)
- Attempted first-degree murder (Hope Hoffman)
- Attempted first-degree murder (Rep. Kristin Bahner)
- Felony cruelty to an animal (Gilbert Hortman)
- Impersonating a police officer
The June 14, 2025, shooting sequence involved attacks on the Hoffmans at their Champlin home, an incident at Rep. Kristin Bahner’s residence, and a final shooting at the Brooklyn Park home of then-House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, both of whom were killed. The gunfire also struck the Hortmans’ dog, Gilbert, who was subsequently euthanized. Boelter previously pleaded guilty in federal court to the murders and shootings.
Family members of the victims, including John and Yvette Hoffman, along with Colin Hortman and Alina Bachman Hortman, were present in the courtroom. Following the hearing, Matthew Forsgren, an attorney for the Hoffman family, released a statement reading, Today is the next step to ensure accountability. The state has an obligation just as the federal government to hold him accountable.
Legal Stakes and Presidential Pardon Exemptions
Legal experts and officials noted that pursuing state charges alongside federal convictions serves specific legal purposes. According to University of Minnesota Law Professor Amy Sweasy, a state-level prosecution provides an interest in securing a sentence that cannot be presidentially pardoned. State officials explained that a guilty verdict on any of the first-degree premeditated murder charges carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, and state sentences are unaffected by presidential pardons.
Boelter also used his time speaking in court to raise complaints regarding his rights to free speech and religious freedom, stating that he has been unable to meet with a priest in person for 14 months and speaking about the physical toll of solitary confinement. Judge Hoyos stated that matters regarding religious freedom and custody placement would be addressed at a future court hearing.
Boelter’s next court appearance in the state case is scheduled for September 2.
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