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 Utah, 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 purpose 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 in the trial. If the court grants the motion, the evidence in question is excluded from being presented to the jury. This process helps to ensure that the trial is conducted fairly and that the jury's verdict is based solely on admissible evidence. The rules governing motions in limine in Utah are consistent with the Federal Rules of Evidence and are typically addressed in pretrial conferences or hearings. An attorney can file a motion in limine on behalf of their client to address these concerns before the trial officially begins.