Add The California Post on Google The video that purportedly shows Josh Jacobs roughing up his girlfriend will not see the light of day anytime soon, even after the Packers star pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery on Thursday.
A Brown County, Wisc., judge issued an order to seal all evidence in the case against Jacobs — including video recordings, police reports and photographs — after the three-time Pro Bowl running back reached a plea deal with prosecutors, a court filing obtained by The California Post shows.
“The Court finds that public disclosure of the Discovery Material would threaten or substantially impair Defendant’s and [the victim’s] privacy, dignity, personal security, emotional wellbeing, or ability to participate safely in the criminal-justice process,” the order stated.
“This protection is not to impede any legitimate law-enforcement function, criminal prosecution, judicial proceeding, or disclosure otherwise required by law, but to prevent unnecessary public dissemination of information that identifies [the victim], reveals intimate or sensitive details of [the victim] or the Defendant, or creates a material risk of harm.”
Jacobs was hit with one misdemeanor charge of battery as well as one misdemeanor charge of criminal damage to property on Aug. 27 after officials alleged they obtained video of him putting his hands on his girlfriend during a heated dispute at his Wisconsin home in May.
Prosecutors wrote in a criminal complaint that surveillance video law enforcement obtained from Jacobs’ residence showed an “altercation” that Jacobs’ girlfriend “described as taking place in the garage.”
Prosecutors also stated the footage showed Jacobs taking the woman’s “phone while she was on the floor of the garage, and approximately 40 seconds later,” returning to the garage and appearing to “damage” the woman’s phone.
It was expected that the video would become available via a public records request after Jacobs disposed of the criminal case on Thursday.
“The Court further finds that the requested protection is warranted because the public interest in safeguarding [the victim’s] and Defendant’s privacy, dignity, and safety outweighs any public interest in releasing victim-identifying information, Defendant identifying information and sensitive victim and/or Defendant related material,” the order sealing the evidence stated.
The filing did note that the order is granted only “temporarily, pending a further Motion to be filed by [the victim] and/or Defendant.”
Jacobs, wearing a grey suit and a light-colored shirt and tie, told a Brown County courtroom he was taking “full responsibility” for his actions after issuing no-contest pleas to the misdemeanors.
He was sentenced to a fine of $1,000 plus costs for the battery count, and his sentence for the criminal damage to property count was suspended.
“With this agreement, Josh has accepted responsibility for his conduct and resolved this matter,” Jacobs’ attorneys said in a statement following the court proceedings. “Today’s resolution is set against a career long history of Josh’s community work while in the NFL, which has centered on the circumstances of his early life.”
Jacobs will still not be allowed to practice or play with the Packers despite the closure of the case, as the NFL said Thursday he will remain on the commissioner’s exempt list while its probe into the matter continues.
