Motion in limine is the name commonly given a pretrial motion that attempts to prevent the offer of, or reference to, specific evidence or other matters in the presence of the jury. A motion in limine is designed to require a party offering evidence to approach the bench and inquire into the admissibility of the evidence at issue before introducing that evidence to the jury. The purpose of the motion in limine is to prevent the other party from asking prejudicial questions or introducing prejudicial evidence in front of the jury without first asking the trial court’s permission.

In Alaska, a motion in limine is a pretrial request made to the court to rule on the admissibility of certain evidence before it is presented during the trial. This legal tool is used to prevent potentially prejudicial evidence from being introduced in front of the jury without the judge's prior review. The goal is to avoid unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, and to ensure that the trial proceeds according to the rules of evidence and procedure. When a motion in limine is granted, the court will typically order that the evidence in question cannot be mentioned or introduced during the trial without first obtaining permission from the court outside the presence of the jury. This helps to maintain the integrity of the trial process and protect the rights of both parties. Alaska follows the general principles of federal law and the Federal Rules of Evidence in this regard, adapting them to the state's own rules and procedures.