A former Jamestown man is asking the state Supreme Court to stop the Jamestown City Court from executing bench warrants until a formal ruling is issued by the court on the man’s written motions.

Patrick Dhondt, who now lives in Newark, N.Y., had faced charges in Jamestown and been sentenced by former City Court Judge John LaMancuso on March 31, 2023, to two years of probation on charges of displaying a forged certificate without inspection, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation. Dhondt then allegedly violated parole by not reporting to a probation officer as directed, being charged in September 2023 for third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation and false personation and not making an initial appointment with a mental health treatment agency within two weeks of LaMancuso’s order. LaMancuso signed a bench warrant in September 2023 for Dhondt to be back in court for violating his probation.

Dhondt says in his court filing that he has filed motions in Jamestown City Court from June 2025 through March 2026 to vacate judgement, a speedy trial motion, a motion to compel discovery and four separate motions to vacate detention and recall or stay bench warrants. He says no oral rulings have been entered on the record in regard to his motions and no written orders have been sent to his new address in Newark.

But, a letter submitted by Dhondt dated Jan. 8, 2026, from Jamestown City Court states his case has been reviewed.

“Please be advised the court is in receipt of your motion to dismiss,” states a letter from Bridget Hoisington, deputy chief clerk of the Jamestown City Court. “Judge Panebianco has reviewed your motion and has denied it at this time. You would be required to turn yourself in on the outstanding warrants and see the judge resolve these matters or work with an attorney to do a plea and waiver.”

Dhondt argues the Jan. 8 letter isn’t a lawful order because it isn’t signed by a judge, and contains no findings or reasons for the judge’s decision.

“It nonetheless has been treated by court staff and others as the operative response to petitioner’s motions,” Dhondt argued. “By allowing a clerk’s unsigned letter to function as a de facto judicial refusal to entertain petitioner’s motions unless he complies with extra-statutory conditions, respondents have effectively outsourced and expanded their jurisdictional gatekeeping role beyond what any statute authorizes.”

Dhondt states law enforcement officers from outside Chautauqua County have visited Dhondt’s Newark address twice in early March 2026 to enforce a probation violation warrant. After those visits, Dhondt filed in state Supreme Court asking for a court order prohibiting City Court from placing a condition on hearing his pending motions on Dhondt turning himself in on the bench warrants or agreeing to enter a negotiated plea and waiver of rights. He also asks the state Supreme Court to require City Court to issue and enter signed and written determinations on his motions and to stop enforcement of the bench warrants until the state Supreme Court case is decided.

Dhondt argues that he has medical conditions that make traveling from Newark to Jamestown difficult, though he lived in Jamestown through at least February 2025, when he was charged after police allege seeing Dhondt jump from a south side home’s window after responding to a burglary in process call. Dhondt was charged with second-degree burglary and fourth-degree criminal mischief in that incident.