Seminole County sexual battery defendant seeks to withdraw no-contest plea

Patrick Gamache’s bid to undo his no-contest plea could reset a Seminole County sexual battery case tied to an attack on the Seminole Wekiva Trail, forcing a judge to decide whether the case stays on the path to sentencing or goes back into active litigation.

The 20-year-old filed the motion last week through a new attorney, who argued that Gamache’s earlier lawyer pushed him into accepting the deal. If the judge grants the request, the plea would be withdrawn and the case could return to a pre-sentencing posture, giving both sides a chance to re-argue the evidence and potentially pushing the matter toward trial. If the motion is denied, sentencing would likely proceed.

That timing matters because the filing came just weeks before Gamache was set to be sentenced. Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.170(f), a court may allow a guilty or no-contest plea to be withdrawn before sentencing. After sentencing, Florida courts have said withdrawal requires a showing of manifest injustice, a much higher bar that underscores how significant the pre-sentencing filing is now.

Gamache was expected back in court Wednesday, with a possible May 19 date also hanging over the case. The underlying accusation has already drawn sustained attention in Seminole County because it stems from a reported sexual assault on a trail used daily by walkers, runners, bicyclists and families.

The reported attack happened around 4 p.m. near State Road 434 and Douglas Avenue. Gamache was taken into custody the next day. A Seminole County judge later ordered him to stay away from the trail, adding a court-imposed restriction to a case that has become one of the county’s most closely watched safety matters.

The Seminole Wekiva Trail runs about 17 miles from the county line in Altamonte Springs. Built along the former Orange Belt Railway, the paved corridor is part of Florida’s Coast-to-Coast Trail along with the Cross Seminole Trail, placing it squarely within the county’s larger recreation network. That is why the case has resonated beyond the courtroom: any change in the plea could affect not only the legal timeline for Gamache, but also how quickly the county can close the book on a case that raised questions about safety on one of Seminole County’s most heavily used outdoor routes.

For residents who use the trail system in Longwood, Lake Mary and Altamonte Springs, the next court ruling will determine whether this case moves toward a final sentence or opens a new chapter of hearings, evidence and delay.