After two months in the Hennepin County workhouse, LeAnn Sargent returned to the Maple Grove City Council Monday night.
Sargent, who at 63 has spent more than a third of her life on the council, was greeted by locals calling for her resignation during the otherwise routine meeting.
About 50 people attended Monday's meeting. Handmade signs with phrases like "You must go!" and "We have enough felons in D.C. and St. Paul" dotted the crowd.
Moments before the meeting began, protesters raised their signs above their heads. Sargent, who'd arrived quietly, glanced out over the crowd but did not respond.
Sargent was sentenced to a gross misdemeanor in April for financially exploiting her dying father. She had initially pleaded guilty to one felony count of exploiting a vulnerable adult. At Sargent's sentencing, Judge Luis Bartolomei said he chose a milder sentence in part so she could stay on the council.
In the time since, multiple calls have come for Sargent's resignation. In late April, council members voted unanimously to censure her. About a month ago, the Hennepin County attorney's office filed an appeal seeking a felony conviction, which would prevent Sargent from serving on the council. Maple Grove residents have even taken the cause to social media, creating a Facebook group called Unseat LeAnn Sargent.
But Sargent, who declined to comment on her return to the council, has insisted she'll continue to serve. Her term ends Dec. 31, 2016.
"For us to be stuck with LeAnn for 2.5 years of her term, potentially, really is unacceptable," said Maple Grove resident Dave Lunt, who helped organize protesters to attend Monday's meeting.