The legal proceedings stemming from a deadly French Quarter hit-and-run now focus on whether the defendant will receive a prison sentence or probation. Yesterday in an Orleans Parish courtroom, attorneys for 19-year-old Thomas Riggio requested that Criminal District Court Judge Kimya Holmes avoid a prison sentence after he admitted responsibility in the hit-and-run death of French Quarter bartender Michael Milam. The defense described the July collision as unavoidable and urged the court to consider probation and rehabilitation rather than incarceration. Prosecutors, citing video evidence and a recorded jail call, are seeking prison time, arguing that the evidence shows reckless driving.
In recently filed court documents, Riggio’s attorney requested that Judge Holmes sentence him to probation and enroll him in community-based programs. The filing included letters of support and a personal letter from Riggio acknowledging that he had consumed alcohol on the night of the crash, according to FOX 8. Prosecutors, in their filings, cited a recorded jail call and toxicology results indicating the presence of alcohol and cocaine in Riggio’s system, as well as city crime-center video that they say shows no attempt to avoid the bicyclist. FOX 8 also notes that, under Louisiana law, a hit-and-run resulting in death carries a potential prison sentence of two to ten years.
Guilty Plea and the Crash
Riggio pleaded guilty in October to one felony count of hit-and-run driving causing death. Police say the crash occurred in the early hours of July 12 near Alvar Street and St. Claude Avenue, as Milam was biking home from work. Investigators report that Riggio turned himself in a few hours after the collision, while prosecutors state that video footage shows he neither slowed down nor stopped after striking Milam. These details were previously reported by WDSU.
Prosecutors Point to Prior Crashes
As they seek a prison sentence, prosecutors have asked the court to consider Riggio’s driving history. The district attorney’s office cited two St. Bernard Parish crash reports uncovered by FOX 8, including a 2023 single-vehicle rollover and a separate sideswipe crash reportedly caused by performing donuts in a parking lot. Prosecutors say these incidents demonstrate a pattern of reckless driving and an “absence of mistake” in the fatal St. Claude crash. FOX 8 previously summarized these crash reports.
What’s Next
Judge Holmes is reviewing the defense and prosecution filings, along with the recorded jail call and video evidence, before determining a sentence. She will need to balance the defense’s request for probation and treatment against the prosecution’s recommendation for a prison term. Under the statutory range, Riggio’s conviction could result in a multi-year prison sentence, while a decision favoring the defense could lead to probation with monitoring, substance-use treatment, and restitution. No final ruling was issued from the bench at Friday’s hearing.
Calls for Safer Streets
Local groups, including Bike Easy and neighborhood organizations, have called for protected bike lanes and stronger traffic enforcement following the crash. Friends and co-workers of Milam say they plan to follow the sentencing closely, viewing it as a measure of how seriously New Orleans addresses dangerous driving on its streets.
