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 New Mexico, 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 without the judge's approval. By addressing these matters before the trial begins, the court can avoid the risk of jury contamination by evidence that may be deemed inadmissible. This type of motion allows the judge to make decisions on evidentiary issues in advance, thereby streamlining the trial process and upholding the fairness of the proceedings. The use of motions in limine is governed by state procedural rules and case law, and attorneys typically file these motions in accordance with the New Mexico Rules of Civil Procedure or the New Mexico Rules of Criminal Procedure, depending on the nature of the case.