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 Alabama, 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. The goal of this motion is to prevent potentially prejudicial evidence from being introduced in front of the jury, which could unduly influence their decision. The motion asks the court to decide whether specific pieces of evidence or testimony should be excluded from the trial. If the motion is granted, the jury will not hear or see the evidence in question. This helps to ensure that the jury's decision is based solely on the evidence that is deemed admissible and relevant to the case. The use of motions in limine is consistent with the Alabama Rules of Evidence, which guide the admissibility of evidence in the state's courts. Attorneys typically file these motions before the trial begins, and the judge will rule on them, often after hearing arguments from both sides.