TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Monday called on State Attorney Monique Worrell to reconsider her decision to prosecute Tina Allgeo.
Allgeo faces charges of second-degree murder resulting from a deadly road-rage incident.
Uthmeier's letter asserted that Allgeo had a right to stand her ground in the state, saying that Mihail Tzvetkov struck Allgeo's car in December 2024. Tzvetkov is then alleged to have driven away from the initial accident. Prosecutors say Allgeo followed him, ultimately hitting his car from behind.
Then, Tzvetkov is alleged to have left his car, opened the door to Allgeo's car, and punched her.
Uthmeier asserts that action gave Allgeo the right to defend herself with a legally acquired firearm.
"Florida law dictates that her actions constitute justifiable self-defense, Section 776.012(2), Florida Statutes, provides that '[al person is justified in using or threatening to use deadly force if he or she reasonably believes that using or threatening to use such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself.' Not only that, deadly force is justified to 'prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.'" Uthmeier wrote in his letter to Worrell.
Worrell made the decision to prosecute Allgeo earlier this year.
"She intentionally struck his vehicle after he left the initial encounter," Worrell said in March. "That is a forcible felony, which prohibits her from self-defense."
She responded to Uthmeier's letter with a prepared statement.
"Every day, the Attorney General's inexperience with criminal prosecution becomes more abundantly clear; it risks the public safety and credibility of our criminal legal system for every Floridian. State Attorneys are constitutionally empowered to exercise discretion in determining when charges should be brought. That discretion requires prosecutors to evaluate whether sufficient evidence exists to establish probable cause, and whether the matter should properly be presented to a grand jury or court. In a homicide case, where one individual's life has been taken, the gravity of the circumstances demands thorough evaluation. Florida's self-defense laws, including the "Stand Your Ground" statute, provide certain immunities when the use of force is justified; however, whether that justification applies in any given case is a matter for judicial determination, not partisan politics. Prosecutors do not serve as extensions of the Governor or the Attorney General; we serve the people of our circuit in accordance with Florida law. The Attorney General's attempts to intimidate or override independent prosecutorial judgment erode public trust in the impartial administration of justice," she wrote in her statement.
Uthmeier also wrote a post on X calling on Worrell to prosecute former Florida State Sen. Linda Stewart for "doxxing" members of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during official actions on August 15.
Worrell was first elected in 2020 to serve in the 9th Judicial Circuit, serving Orange and Osceola counties. However, she received criticism from DeSantis for not being harsh enough on violent criminals and protecting the public.
Her suspension followed an August 2023 shooting in downtown Orlando that involved 28-year-old suspect Daton Viel, who officials say shot and injured two police officers.
It was later reported that Viel had a lengthy criminal past and several outstanding warrants at the time of the shooting.
Worrell filed a motion to regain her title. However, a judge upheld the suspension. DeSantis appointed Judge Andrew Bain to fill her position as state attorney.
Worrell was re-elected as state attorney in the November 2024 election, with nearly 60% of the votes.