Packers' Josh Jacobs pleads no contest, fined in misdemeanor case

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs appeared in court, pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors and was fined and entered a deferred judgment agreement on Thursday.

Josh Jacobs enters plea

In court:

The Brown County District Attorney's Office charged Jacobs with two misdemeanors, battery and criminal damage to property, in August. The charges stemmed from a May incident involving his girlfriend, according to court documents.

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Jacobs pleaded no contest to both misdemeanor charges on Thursday.

"I fully understand the seriousness of the situation, and I take full responsibility," Jacobs said in court.

Jacobs' first court appearance was initially scheduled for Nov. 17. That date was moved up to Thursday, three days before the Packers open the regular season at Minnesota. 

Fine, deferred judgment

In court:

A Brown County judge ordered Jacobs to pay a $1,000 fine for a misdemeanor battery charge and approved a deferred judgment agreement on a misdemeanor criminal damage to property charge. 

As part of the deferred judgment, Jacobs cannot get in trouble with the law, must do some sort of counseling and battery intervention, stay away from the victim and pay her restitution. If Jacobs does not violate the terms of the agreement within the next year, the charge will be dismissed.

"Violence against women, specifically violence that occurs in the context of an intimate partner relationship. It can’t be tolerated," said Brown County District Attorney David Lasee.

When was Josh Jacobs arrested?

The backstory:

Hobart/Lawrence police arrested Jacobs after he turned himself in on May 26. He was released from the Brown County Jail a day later without charges. At the time, the district attorney's office said prosecutors needed more evidence before deciding whether to file charges.

According to a news release police shared on the incident, they responded to a disturbance involving Jacobs on May 23. Police listed the charges they arrested him on, which included felony strangulation, battery – domestic abuse, criminal damage to property – domestic abuse, disorderly conduct – domestic abuse, and intimidation of a victim.

FOX6 News listened to dispatch audio of the incident, in which a dispatcher can be heard saying, "I can hear yelling and screaming, and things being thrown. It's plotting to this location. I have an open line. Possible male-female."

Criminal investigation, surveillance

Dig deeper:

A criminal complaint said police went to Jacobs' home in Hobart shortly after 8:30 a.m. Another resident answered the door and said he was unaware of any altercation between Jacobs and his girlfriend, and that he saw both of them leave the home.

Officers found the girlfriend at a neighbor's house, and court filings said she told police she "had a lump on her head" from Jacobs. She said he looked through Jacobs' phone and saw he was "talking to other girls," so she threw the phone. Jacobs had her phone, she said, and when she tried to get it back, they got into a "physical struggle" for several minutes.

The victim said they left the home, and Jacobs drove away with her phone, according to the complaint. She said she took one of Jacobs' other vehicles and followed him to try to get her phone back. They eventually returned to the home, where an argument continued.

Court filings said the victim then grabbed her second phone, and Jacobs called her a "derogatory name." She left the house through the garage door to try to call police, when she said Jacobs followed her, "grabbed her and threw her to the ground and she struck her head." Jacobs then took her second phone.

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A digital forensic examination report of Jacobs' home surveillance system was completed in mid-August. Court filings said the video "corroborates the relevant portions" of the victim's statements. It showed Jacobs and the victim driving away before coming back, as well what took place in the garage. It also showed Jacobs took and damaged the victim's phone. The surveillance system did not capture anything that happened inside the home.

The complaint said police noted redness to the victim's face and neck and could feel the bump on the back of her head. She said Jacobs never returned her primary phone, and her second phone was damaged during the incident.

Is Josh Jacobs suspended?

Big picture view:

The NFL placed Jacobs on the commissioner's exempt list, which is not a formal suspension. The designation prevents the running back from playing or practicing, but it allows him to keep receiving a paycheck as the NFL conducts its investigation. Any games Jacobs misses while on the commissioner's exempt list would count toward a suspension, but he'd have to repay the money.

Josh Jacobs career

By the numbers:

The Raiders selected Jacobs in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he played his first five NFL seasons there before signing with the Packers as a free agent in 2024.

Jacobs started all 17 games in his first season in Green Bay, amassing 1,329 rushing yards and a career-best 15 touchdowns in a Pro Bowl season. He tallied 929 yards and 13 touchdowns over 15 games last season.

Official statement

What they're saying:

In a statement, Jacobs' legal team – attorneys David Chesnoff, Richard Schonfeld and Clarence Duchac – wrote Thursday:

"Josh Jacobs today agreed to enter a plea of guilty or no contest to one count of Misdemeanor Criminal Damage to Property and one count of Misdemeanor Battery in Brown County Circuit Court. The State recommended and the Judge issued a fine of $1000 plus costs as sentence for the Battery Count. Under the terms of the agreement, the Court will suspend the proceeding on the Criminal Damage to Property Count for 12 months, at which time it will be dismissed upon completion of the terms of the agreement.

With this agreement, Josh has accepted responsibility for his conduct and resolved this matter. 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. 

For example, in 2022 his Raiders teammates selected him for the Ed Block Courage Award, an honor voted by players, citing his assistance to families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. His 2020 partnership with Kia — built around his own experience of homelessness — generated $1 million for Covenant House, StandUp for Kids and Positive Tomorrows, organizations serving homeless youth. He has since supported Milwaukee Fire Department safety programming, the NFL's TEAM UP against Human Trafficking initiative, Forge Ministries in Tulsa with a food trailer donation against hunger, Toys for Tots in Las Vegas, Make-A-Wish Foundation for sick children, USAA for military families, and Dairyland Sports, a Wisconsin nonprofit expanding athletic access for people with physical disabilities."

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