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 Colorado, 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 judge to decide whether specific pieces of evidence can be included in the trial proceedings. If the motion is granted, the evidence in question is excluded and cannot be mentioned or presented to the jury without the court's permission. This helps 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 a common practice in Colorado courts and is governed by state statutes and rules of evidence, which are consistent with federal law and the goal of ensuring a fair trial.