Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs recently had his initial hearing in his court case, after being charged with battery and criminal damage, pushed forward by two months. Today, Jacobs showed up in person to plead no contest to both misdemeanor charges.
Currently, Jacobs is on the NFL’s commissioner exempt list, where he will remain until the league rules on a potential suspension for the running back. The Packers, up to this point, have stood by Jacobs and have allowed him to participate
in activities in the facility — which is allowed while he’s on the exempt list, as long as he doesn’t practice or play in games.
Jacobs was initially charged with battery with a domestic abuse enhancer, criminal damage with a domestic abuse enhancer, disorderly conduct with a domestic abuse enhancer, strangulation and suffocation and intimidation of a victim. The State of Wisconsin demands that, to reach the domestic abuse enhancer, the victim in the crimes must have been someone who has (or had) lived with the assailant, has a child with the assailant or has been married to the assailant. Because Jacobs’ girlfriend, as described in the police report, did not fit that mold, the enhancers were dropped from his charges.
According to the police report, there was footage retrieved from Jacobs’ complex that shows “the altercation” between him and his unnamed girlfriend via an open garage door. Per the report, Jacobs “grabbed her and threw her to the ground,” resulting in injury. Allegedly, he later damaged her phone, which is where the criminal damage charge stems from.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, live at court today, stated that the court has accepted Jacobs’ no-contest plea — which means that the accused is willing to accept punishment but not officially admit guilt — on five conditions:
- He doesn’t commit any further criminal acts.
- He has no contact with the victim.
- He accepts supervision.
- He accepts counseling.
- He pays restitution to the victim.
The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman has reported that Jacobs’ attorney stated in court that Jacobs has already volunteered to attend counseling.
