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 Maine, a motion in limine is a pretrial request made by a party to the court, seeking to limit or prevent certain evidence from being presented to the jury during a trial. The purpose of this motion is to avoid the introduction of evidence or information that is deemed prejudicial, irrelevant, or otherwise inadmissible, without first obtaining the court's approval. By ruling on these matters before the trial begins, the court can prevent potential prejudice that could arise from the jury hearing inadmissible evidence. The motion in limine helps to ensure that both parties adhere to the rules of evidence and that the jury's decision is based solely on the evidence that is legally permitted. If granted, the motion effectively sets boundaries for the trial, and the parties are required to approach the bench to discuss the admissibility of the contested evidence before attempting to introduce it in front of the jury.