What is a limine hearing?

A motion in limine is a motion filed by a party to a lawsuit which asks the court for an order or ruling limiting or preventing certain evidence from being presented by the other side at the trial of the case.

What does limine mean in court?

In the United States, a motion in limine is Latin for a “motion at the start.” Essentially, this is a request that is sent to a judge and can be used in either civil or criminal proceedings. Motion in limines are used on both the state and federal levels in all types of cases.

What does in limine mean in law?

A pretrial motion asking that certain evidence be found inadmissible, and that it not be referred to or offered at trial.

What is an example of a motion in limine?

Examples of motions in limine would be that the attorney for the defendant may ask the judge to refuse to admit into evidence any personal information, or medical, criminal or financial records, using the legal grounds that these records are irrelevant, immaterial, unreliable, or unduly prejudicial, and/or that their …

Why is motion in limine important?

A motion in limine is an evidentiary motion brought on the threshold of trial by which a party seeks to exclude arguably inadmissible or highly prejudicial evidence from trial. The purpose of these motions is to avoid having to “unring the bell” by objecting to the evidence after the jury sees or hears it.

What is the purpose of a motion in limine?

A motion in limine is a procedural mechanism that allows litigators to seek to exclude certain evidence from being presented to a jury – typically evidence that is irrelevant, unreliable, or more prejudicial than probative.

What happens if a motion in limine is denied?

There is also authority for the proposition that if a motion in limine is denied, the party opposing the evidence can be the first to offer the objectionable evidence without waiving the merits of the evidentiary objection on appeal.

How do you respond to a motion in limine?

Add a conclusion. Simply request that the court deny the other side’s motion in limine. For example, you could write: “For the foregoing reasons, the Defendant’s Motion in Limine to Exclude Evidence of Liability Insurance should be denied.”