Judge denies request to seal Josh Jacobs case records — SkimNews
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- Judge Marc A. Hammer of Brown County District Court denied the victim's request to permanently seal evidence in Josh Jacobs' criminal case during a Thursday hearing; the order takes effect Friday and cancels a temporary seal issued Sept. 10.
- Hobart-Lawrence Police Department will now handle any new public-records requests for the evidence, which according to the criminal complaint includes surveillance video of part of a May 23 incident at Jacobs' home in Green Bay.
- ESPN and several media outlets that previously filed requests for evidence must resubmit them once the seal is lifted, and the victim or Jacobs is entitled to appeal before anything is released.
- Josh Jacobs has been on the NFL's commissioner exempt list since Aug. 30 and cannot play or practice, with time spent on the list counting toward any future suspension once the league concludes its investigation.
- A permanent seal would have prevented the NFL from reviewing the garage surveillance video, but per the ruling the league would now have to file its own request to obtain the footage.
- Jacobs entered a no contest plea on Sept. 10, was convicted of misdemeanor battery, fined $1,000, and accepted a deferred judgment agreement on a misdemeanor damage-to-property charge that includes restitution, counseling, a no-contact order, and one year of supervision.
Why it matters: The ruling preserves a path — though not a clear one — for the garage surveillance video to reach the NFL as it investigates Jacobs, who is already on the commissioner exempt list and accruing days that would count toward any suspension the league eventually imposes.
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