Hon. Tammy M. Riggs is a judge for the Second Judicial District Court in Washoe County, Nevada. She was elected to the District Court bench in 2020. Previously, Riggs sat as a judge for the Reno Municipal Court, a position she was elected to in 2016.
She received a B.A. in Geography and Environmental Studies from Boston University in 1987. Riggs also holds an M.S. in Environmental Toxicology from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health (1997). She went on to earn a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2000.
She clerked for the Hon. Peter I. Breen with the Second Judicial District Court for one year.
After her clerkship, Riggs joined the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office as a deputy district attorney in 2001. During her seven-year tenure there, she was assigned to the Criminal Division, where she helped prosecute misdemeanor and felony crimes involving crimes against children and domestic violence. She was also a member of the District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Protection Team.
In 2008, Riggs entered into solo practice as a criminal defense attorney at her own law firm. She remained in that capacity until her election to the Municipal Court bench.
While on the Municipal Court, Riggs helped establish the High Intensity Services and Supervision Court and the Community Court. These specialty courts provided housing, drug treatment, mental health services, and job training to frequent offenders.
Her memberships have included the Washoe County Municipal Court Representative to the Judicial Council of the State of Nevada, the Nevada Pretrial Risk Assessment Study Committee, the Nevada Judges of Limited Jurisdiction, the Nevada Access to Justice Commission, the Second Judicial District Court Criminal Rules Committee, the Washoe County Bar Association, the State Bar of Nevada, the American Bar Association, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
She is a long-time resident of Reno. Some of her hobbies include traveling and spending time outdoors with her family.