Judge Grants Split Sentence to 29-Year-Old Convicted Vehicular Manslaughter Defendant

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A convicted vehicular manslaughter defendant’s counsel requested that the defendant be given a split sentence on Jan. 18 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Robert Taylor.

Attorney Matthew Jennejahn stated on Wednesday that in exchange for the split sentence, the defendant would admit to violating his probation.

Judge Taylor granted defenant Antoine Jamonte Riggins‘ request by imposing a split sentence of nine years, suspending all but seven years with five years supervised probation for the admission of violating probation. The sentence is to run consecutively to the vehicular manslaughter sentence.

The judge informed the defendant that he would consider modifying the sentence.

On July 24, 2019, Riggins was convicted of vehicular manslaughter, traffic violation, and committing a homicide while driving intoxicated in connection to an incident on Dec. 7, 2017.

The 29-year-old defendant is also charged with two counts of violation of probation.

According to court documents, on the day of the incident, the defendant was driving with two passengers in the vehicle when he lost control of the vehicle. The car began sliding and spinning out of control, hitting a tree and then flipping onto its side, causing the defendant and another passenger to be thrown out of the vehicle.

The third passenger in the defendant’s vehicle was still inside with her seat belt on, stopping her from being flung out of the vehicle.

The defendant and the second passenger had minor injuries, while the third passenger sustained a massive head injury. She was taken to Sinai Hospital, where she later died.

Given the opportunity to address the court, the defendant said, “I will try my best to be better when I get out of prison,” adding that he planned to continue taking care of his grandmother.