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 Wisconsin, 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 trial. The purpose of this motion is to avoid the potential prejudicial impact that such evidence might have on the jury's decision-making process. The motion is typically filed before the trial begins and is decided by the judge in a pretrial hearing. If granted, the motion requires the party wishing to introduce the contested evidence to approach the bench for a ruling on its admissibility before mentioning it in front of the jury. This process helps to ensure that the jury is not exposed to evidence that is deemed inadmissible or prejudicial, which could unfairly influence their verdict. The use of motions in limine is governed by Wisconsin's rules of evidence and procedure, and the decisions on these motions are at the discretion of the presiding judge.