Legal Definitions - in limine

Definition: In limine is a Latin term that means "at the threshold." It refers to a pretrial motion that asks the court to exclude certain evidence from being presented at trial. This motion is called a motion in limine.

A motion in limine is a request made by one party to the court to exclude evidence that they believe is inadmissible. This motion is made before the trial begins, and it is used to prevent the other party from presenting evidence that is irrelevant, prejudicial, or otherwise inadmissible.

For example, if a defendant is on trial for a drug offense, the prosecution may want to introduce evidence of the defendant's prior drug use. The defense could file a motion in limine to exclude this evidence, arguing that it is irrelevant to the current charges and would unfairly prejudice the jury against the defendant.

A motion in limine is often more effective than objecting to evidence during the trial because it prevents the jury from hearing the evidence in the first place. If the evidence is presented to the jury and then objected to, the jury may already have been influenced by it.