Legal Definitions - in limine

In limine is a Latin term meaning "at the threshold." A motion in limine is a pretrial request made to a judge to rule certain evidence inadmissible, preventing it from being mentioned or presented during a trial. This ensures the jury does not hear or become aware of potentially improper information.

In limine is a Latin legal term meaning "at the threshold" or "at the outset." In practice, it refers to a request made to a judge, typically before a trial officially begins or at its very start, to decide on a specific legal issue.

A motion in limine is a formal request asking the judge to rule on whether certain evidence can be presented to the jury during the trial. The primary purpose of such a motion is to prevent potentially prejudicial, irrelevant, or otherwise inadmissible information from ever being mentioned or shown to the jury. By addressing these issues "at the threshold," lawyers aim to avoid a situation where a jury hears something improper and is then asked to disregard it, which can be difficult for jurors to do. This process helps ensure a fair trial by resolving disputes about evidence admissibility before they can unfairly influence the jury.

• Example 1 (Personal Injury Case): Imagine a lawsuit where a pedestrian is suing a driver for injuries sustained in a car accident. The driver's attorney discovers that the pedestrian had a history of minor, unrelated traffic violations (like parking tickets) several years ago. The driver's attorney might want to mention these violations to subtly suggest the pedestrian is generally careless. However, the pedestrian's attorney could file a motion in limine to prevent any mention of these past violations. The pedestrian's attorney would argue that parking tickets are irrelevant to the current accident's cause or the pedestrian's injuries, and bringing them up would unfairly prejudice the jury against the pedestrian, distracting them from the actual facts of the collision. If the judge grants the motion, the driver's attorney would be prohibited from discussing the parking tickets during the trial.

• Example 2 (Criminal Trial): In a criminal case where a defendant is accused of theft, the prosecutor learns that the defendant was previously acquitted of a different, unrelated theft charge five years ago. The prosecutor might believe that mentioning the prior accusation, even if it resulted in an acquittal, could make the jury more likely to believe the defendant is guilty in the current case. The defense attorney, however, would likely file a motion in limine to exclude any reference to the previous theft charge. The defense would argue that an acquittal means the defendant was found not guilty, and bringing up a past, unproven accusation would be highly prejudicial and irrelevant to the current charges, violating the defendant's right to a fair trial. If the judge agrees, the prosecutor would not be allowed to introduce evidence or even mention the prior theft accusation.

• Example 3 (Contract Dispute): Consider a business dispute over a breach of contract. Before the lawsuit was filed, the two companies engaged in several rounds of settlement negotiations, during which one company made a "without prejudice" offer to pay a certain amount to resolve the issue. When the case goes to trial, the other company might want to introduce this settlement offer as evidence that the first company admitted fault. The company that made the offer would likely file a motion in limine to prevent any mention of the settlement discussions or offers. They would argue that settlement negotiations are typically protected by law to encourage parties to resolve disputes out of court, and allowing them to be introduced at trial would discourage future good-faith settlement efforts and could be misinterpreted by the jury as an admission of liability rather than an attempt to find a compromise.