Motion in Limine Law and Legal Definition
A motion filed by a party to a legal proceeding asking the court for an order limiting the other party from presenting certain evidence. A motion in limine is usually made before a trial begins. It is a request to the court to prohibit the other side from presenting, or referring to an evidence which is highly prejudicial, irrelevant, or inadmissible . An in limine motion is made outside the hearing of the jury. It can be taken in an open court, or in a judge’s chamber. If the probative value of an evidence is outweighed by its prejudicial value, the judge will agree with the request in the in limine motion. The evidence excluded by an in limine motion would be prohibited from being presented without specific approval from the judge, at the time the party wants to offer the evidence. The violation of a motion in limine results in the declaration of mistrial. A motion in limine can be inclusionary, exclusionary, or preclusionary.
