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 South Carolina, a motion in limine is a pretrial request made by an attorney to the court, seeking to exclude certain evidence from being presented to the jury during a trial. The purpose of this motion is to prevent potentially prejudicial evidence from being introduced before the jury, which could unduly influence their decision. The motion requires the party wishing to present the evidence to first obtain permission from the court outside the presence of the jury. This allows the judge to determine the admissibility of the evidence in question without exposing the jury to potentially inadmissible or prejudicial material. If the motion in limine is granted, the evidence is excluded and cannot be mentioned or introduced during the trial unless the court later permits it after further consideration. South Carolina courts follow the rules of evidence and procedure, which include provisions for such pretrial motions, to ensure a fair trial process for all parties involved.