Attorneys for the woman who accused Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs of domestic abuse filed a motion Tuesday asking a Wisconsin court to permanently seal the evidence in his criminal case, a move that could make it harder for the NFL to obtain surveillance video central to its own investigation
The filing came five days after Jacobs pleaded no contest in Brown County Circuit Court to misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property. He was convicted on the battery charge and fined $1,000, while the property damage charge was deferred for a year with dismissal possible if he stays away from the woman, completes counseling, remains under supervision and pays restitution.
How did the case get to misdemeanor charges
Jacobs was arrested in May and initially booked on five counts, including felony strangulation and suffocation, along with battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct and intimidation of a victim, all domestic abuse related. The Brown County District Attorney reduced those charges to the two misdemeanors in late August. Jacobs’ attorneys said at the time of his arrest that he denied any wrongdoing.
Why does the sealed video matter so much to the NFL
According to the criminal complaint, Jacobs threw the woman to the ground and damaged her phone, and surveillance footage recovered from his home reportedly supported parts of the account she gave police, including video of the portion of the incident that happened in his garage. The NFL is actively pursuing legal avenues to obtain that footage before deciding on discipline, and a temporary seal Judge Marc Hammer issued last week already made access difficult. The new motion from the woman’s attorneys, who identified her only as ANM, seeks to make that seal permanent, citing her desire to protect her privacy.
Where does this leave Jacobs’ standing with the league
Jacobs has been on the NFL’s commissioner exempt list since August 30, meaning he continues drawing his full salary but cannot practice or play while the league reviews the case. That status is not a suspension and carries no fixed timeline, though any games missed on the exempt list would count toward a future suspension if one is issued. The league’s standard baseline for a first time domestic violence violation under its personal conduct policy is six games without pay, a number that can increase depending on factors like weapon involvement or repeated striking.
What happens next for Jacobs and the Packers
Jacobs‘ next scheduled court appearance is November 17, but the NFL does not have to wait for the criminal case to conclude before issuing its own discipline. In his court appearance, Jacobs told the judge he understood the seriousness of the situation and accepted full responsibility for his conduct. The Packers, who signed running back Kaleb Johnson in a trade after Jacobs’ exempt list placement, opened the season 0-1 without him, and the team has said there is no timetable for when the league’s investigation might conclude.
