The Josh Jacobs video saga is officially a messier situation. The Hobart-Lawrence Police Department has announced a delay in releasing that crucial garage footage, a move spurred by attorneys for the ‘record subjects’ who are now signaling they’ll seek court orders to block its disclosure.
What’s Been Going On With Jacobs and The League?
This whole mess has Jacobs on the exempt list for the entire regular season, by the way. He pleaded no contest last month to battery and criminal damage to property charges, which is why he’s in this spot. Head Coach Matt LaFleur even said yesterday the Packers got no updates on when Jacobs might be back from that exempt list. The NFL, meanwhile, is chomping at the bit to see this video. They badly want access to whatever the Hobart-Lawrence PD recovered from Jacobs’ garage. Remember, the report says it apparently shows Jacobs pushing his then-girlfriend, causing her injury. This video is key for the league’s feedback on his return status, and right now, they’re still in the dark.
The PD’s Letter Explains The Hold Up
So, what’s the deal with the video delay? WBAY reported they got a letter from the Hobart-Lawrence PD, and it lays it all out. A judge ruled a few weeks back that it was up to the department to decide on making the evidence public. The PD did their “review and balancing test” after that court direction on September 24, 2026, and figured some records could be released, with redactions. They even sent out notices on October 5, 2026, to the people involved, as required.
But here’s the kicker: after those notices went out, the PD got word from attorneys for the ‘record subjects’ saying they plan to go to court and get judicial orders to stop the release. That includes objections about the broader investigative records, too. Because of this, these records are now stuck under a statutory release waiting period and whatever goes down in court under Wis. Stat. § 19.356. The PD is trying to clarify things, saying this whole process is different from the usual public records request timeframe. They’re also giving courtesy notifications about releasing other stuff like police reports and body-worn or squad camera recordings.
For now, the department is temporarily holding back all responsive records, following that statutory waiting period and any court orders. They want to be clear this isn’t a flat-out denial or a reversal of their decision that some stuff *could* be released. Records not independently subject to Wis. Stat. § 19.356 are still being looked at for release when legally possible. The PD acknowledges they have to respond “as soon as practicable and without delay,” but they also noted that Wisconsin law doesn’t have a *fixed* 10-day response deadline, despite what was reported. It seems this legal back-and-forth is going to drag on.
Jacobs is still stuck on the exempt list, and with these new legal challenges holding up the crucial video evidence, the NFL’s decision on his status looks like it’s gonna be a long, drawn-out affair. Everyone’s just left waiting for the next move in court.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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