Altamonte Springs resident Patrick Gamache, 20, who is accused of sexually attacking a woman on the Seminole Wekiva Trail, has asked a Seminole County judge to let him take back the no-contest plea he entered in March. A hearing on the motion was set for 9 a.m., putting sentencing on hold while the judge decides whether the plea will stand.
According to ClickOrlando, Gamache’s new attorney filed the motion last week, arguing his previous lawyer pressured him into taking the deal. The filing claims the plea was not voluntary and asks the court to allow Gamache to withdraw it and proceed with a not-guilty plea instead.
Attack and arrest
The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said in a Seminole County Sheriff’s Office release that deputies responded on Aug. 18, 2025, to reports of a woman being grabbed and dragged near State Road 434 and Douglas Avenue on the Seminole Wekiva Trail. The release notes that the suspect ran off shirtless, and deputies found an electric scooter and a red T-shirt at the scene. WFTV reported that witnesses helped identify the suspect and that he was booked on sexual battery charges. Hoodline’s trail attack coverage detailed the original arrest for local readers.
Video released through public records shows deputies locating a man matching the description less than 24 hours later, shirtless and shoeless on the I-4 eastbound on-ramp near State Road 434, and placing him under arrest, as reported by ClickOrlando. That outlet also noted court records in Miami-Dade that connect Gamache to a 2023 robbery case and show the Miami case had been administratively closed just days before the trail assault.
What the law says
Under Florida law, a defendant can ask to withdraw a guilty or no-contest plea before sentencing for good cause, and judges generally look more favorably on those requests than on attempts to undo a plea after sentencing. Guidance from Florida Courts explains that once a sentence is handed down, a defendant faces a tougher “manifest injustice” standard to take back a plea. Timing and the reasons the defense offers will be central to the judge’s call here.
Next steps
At the upcoming hearing, the judge will hear arguments and decide whether Gamache can withdraw his plea. If the motion is granted, the case would shift back onto a trial track instead of going straight to sentencing. Prosecutors and the defense could then either hammer out a new deal or gear up for trial, and future court dockets will show whether additional hearings or a trial date are set.
