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 California, 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 avoid the jury being exposed to potentially prejudicial material that could influence their decision-making process. By filing a motion in limine, a party is asking the court to decide whether specific evidence can be included or excluded from the trial. This helps to ensure that only relevant and permissible evidence is presented to the jury. California law allows for such motions to be made in both civil and criminal cases, and the rulings on these motions can significantly shape the course of the trial. The procedures and standards for motions in limine are governed by California's Evidence Code and case law, and the decisions on these motions are at the discretion of the trial judge.