Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has filed a court action seeking a permanent injunction and related orders to stop the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department from releasing certain records from his case, including video from a May incident at his home.
Court records show the filing, dated October 14, seeks a permanent injunction, protective order and order restricting access to records under Wisconsin Statute 19.356. It targets materials obtained through subpoenas and search warrants.
The move follows the department’s recent determination that some records could be released with redactions after a review directed by a Brown County judge. Attorneys for those named in the records had notified police of plans to seek judicial orders blocking disclosure, prompting the department to place all responsive records on temporary hold.
That hold does not amount to a denial of public records requests, according to the department. No hearing date has been set in the new court filing.
Jacobs pleaded no contest on September 10 to two misdemeanor charges — battery and criminal damage to property — stemming from a May 23 altercation with his then-girlfriend at his Hobart residence. He was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine on the battery count. The property damage charge was placed under a deferred judgment agreement that will dismiss it after 12 months if he completes conditions including no contact with the victim and other requirements. He received no jail time.
Police initially arrested him May 26 on five charges that included a felony count of strangulation and suffocation, but prosecutors ultimately filed only the two misdemeanors. Surveillance video from inside his private garage, obtained via search warrant, was cited in the criminal complaint as corroborating portions of the account given by the woman identified in records as ANM.
The NFL placed Jacobs on the commissioner’s exempt list on August 30. He has not played a snap this season. As of mid-October, the Packers were preparing for their sixth consecutive game without him. Players on the list are paid but barred from practicing or attending games while the league reviews the matter under its personal conduct policy. Time spent on the list can count toward any later suspension, though an unpaid suspension would require repayment of salary received during that period.
An NFL spokesperson has said the matter remains under review with no timeline given.
In the new filing, Jacobs joins and supports the victim’s privacy requests, arguing that public release of the garage footage and identifying or sensitive details would violate victim privacy protections under Wisconsin’s Marsy’s Law, cause re-victimization and create risks that redaction cannot fully prevent. The suit states: “ANM is a crime victim who seeks closure, not public attention.” Jacobs also contends that releasing interior garage footage would expose his home’s layout, access points, security setups and valuables. With his professional schedule and travel dates public, he argues this creates a risk of targeted burglary, break-ins or harassment. He asks the court to bar release of the garage video and related sensitive details, asserting that personal safety and privacy outweigh the public interest in the records. The materials at issue include police reports, dispatch audio, investigative notes and the garage video. A Brown County judge had temporarily sealed evidence after the September 10 plea, then denied a permanent seal request on September 24 and returned the matter to police for balancing-test decisions on individual records requests. The Hobart-Lawrence Police Department declined to comment on the new filing, citing ongoing litigation. Media outlets and the NFL have sought the video as part of public records requests and the league’s separate investigation. The temporary withholding continues while the statutory process and any court proceedings play out. Packers coach Matt LaFleur has said the team has received no updates from the league on Jacobs’ status. The running back’s continued absence leaves Green Bay without its primary ball carrier as the regular season progresses.
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