Writing a motion in limine comes down to three disciplined moves: identify the exact evidence you want kept out of trial, tie it to a specific rule of evidence, and present the argument in a focused document the judge can rule on without hunting for your point. A motion in limine is a pretrial written request asking the court to exclude specific evidence before the jury hears it, decided outside the jury’s presence, and when granted it bars the other side from mentioning or introducing the material during trial.
Start With the Specific Evidence and the Rule
Before you draft a word, pin down two things: what specific evidence you want excluded and which rule of evidence it violates. Vague motions fail. A motion asking the court to exclude “any prejudicial evidence” gives the judge nothing to rule on. A motion asking to exclude “the defendant’s 2019 misdemeanor shoplifting conviction from being used to impeach her credibility” gives the judge a concrete decision to make.
Once you know the evidence, match it to the strongest exclusionary rule. In federal court, the Federal Rules of Evidence supply most of the firepower. Many state courts follow rules modeled closely on the federal version, though numbering and wording differ. Check your jurisdiction’s evidence code before assuming the federal rule applies.
Rules You’ll Most Often Rely On
A handful of rules do most of the work in these motions. Knowing how each operates gives you the vocabulary to build a persuasive argument.
Relevance Under Rules 401 and 402
Evidence is relevant only if it makes a fact in the case more or less probable than it would be without the evidence, and the fact actually matters to the outcome.1Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Evidence Rule 401 – Test for Relevant Evidence Irrelevant evidence is flatly inadmissible.2Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Evidence Rule 402 – General Admissibility of Relevant Evidence If the evidence you want excluded has no bearing on any disputed fact, a 401/402 argument is the simplest path.
Unfair Prejudice Under Rule 403
Even relevant evidence can be excluded when its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusing the issues, misleading the jury, or wasting time.3Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Evidence Rule 403 – Excluding Relevant Evidence for Prejudice, Confusion, Waste of Time, or Other Reasons This is probably the most frequently invoked rule in motions in limine. Note the word “substantially.” The rule does not exclude evidence just because it is somewhat prejudicial. All evidence against a party is prejudicial to some degree. The danger of unfair prejudice has to significantly outweigh what the evidence actually proves.
Character Evidence and Prior Bad Acts Under Rule 404
Evidence of a person’s character or prior bad acts generally cannot be used to show they acted consistently with that character on the occasion in question. You cannot introduce evidence that a defendant was convicted of fraud five years ago just to argue they are the “type of person” who commits fraud. Prior acts may still come in for other purposes, such as showing motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake. A motion targeting this evidence needs to explain why it is really being offered to paint character rather than to prove one of those permitted purposes.
Subsequent Remedial Measures Under Rule 407
If a party took steps after an injury to make a similar harm less likely, such as fixing a broken staircase or changing a safety protocol, that evidence generally cannot be used to prove negligence or a product defect.4Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Evidence Rule 407 – Subsequent Remedial Measures A motion in limine is often the best vehicle for keeping this evidence out. Once a jury hears that the defendant “fixed the problem right after the accident,” the damage is done regardless of any later instruction to disregard it.
Prior Convictions Under Rule 609
Prior convictions can sometimes be used to attack a witness’s truthfulness. For felonies (crimes punishable by more than one year of imprisonment), the evidence is generally admissible in civil cases subject to a Rule 403 balancing test. In criminal cases where the witness is the defendant, the conviction comes in only if its probative value outweighs its prejudicial effect to the defendant, a stricter standard. Convictions involving dishonesty or false statements are admissible regardless of punishment level. Convictions older than ten years face a higher bar: admissible only if the probative value substantially outweighs the prejudicial effect.5Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Evidence Rule 609 – Impeachment by Evidence of a Criminal Conviction Motions to exclude prior convictions under Rule 609 are among the most common motions in limine in criminal practice.
What Goes in the Document
The format follows the general structure of any pretrial motion, with specifics shaped by local court rules. Most courts expect these components:
- A caption with the court name, case name, and case number at the top, formatted to the court’s requirements.
- A title specific enough that the judge knows the motion’s purpose at a glance. “Motion in Limine to Exclude Evidence of Plaintiff’s Prior Lawsuits” is far better than “Motion in Limine No. 3.”
- An introduction, one or two paragraphs identifying who you represent, what evidence you want excluded, and the rule supporting exclusion. The judge should understand the entire motion from this section alone.
- A factual background giving the facts the judge needs to evaluate the motion, stripped of argument. What is the evidence, how does the opposing party intend to use it, and what is the context?
- The legal argument, discussed below.
- A conclusion and requested relief, briefly asking the court to enter an order excluding the specified evidence and prohibiting opposing counsel from referencing it in the jury’s presence.
- A signature block with the attorney’s name, bar number, firm, and contact information.
Many courts also expect a proposed order, a short signable document the judge can enter immediately if the motion is granted. Including one shows you have thought through what relief looks like and saves the court time drafting its own.
Writing the Legal Argument
The argument section is where motions succeed or fail. A good argument does three things: states the rule, applies it to the specific evidence, and explains why exclusion matters.
Start by quoting or paraphrasing the applicable rule. Then walk through how the evidence at issue triggers that rule. If you are arguing under Rule 403, for example, explain concretely what makes the evidence unfairly prejudicial. Perhaps graphic photographs of injuries that are far more inflammatory than necessary when medical records could prove the same point. Then address the probative value and show why the prejudice substantially outweighs it.
Support your analysis with case law from your jurisdiction. Appellate decisions addressing similar evidence under the same rule give the judge confidence that granting the motion is consistent with established law. Focus on decisions from the court where your case is pending or from the appellate court directly above it. A district court in Georgia will care far more about Eleventh Circuit precedent than about a Ninth Circuit opinion.
Anticipate the opposition. If the other side has a plausible argument that the evidence is admissible for a permitted purpose, such as intent under Rule 404, address it head-on and explain why it falls short. Judges notice when a motion pretends the counterargument does not exist, and it undercuts credibility.
Keep each motion focused on a single piece or category of evidence. Some practitioners file omnibus motions bundling a dozen evidentiary issues together. That approach makes each individual argument easier for the court to skip over. Separate motions force the judge to address each issue individually, which increases your odds on the close calls.
Local Rules, Timing, and Meeting and Conferring
Every court has local rules governing motions, and ignoring them can get a well-written motion rejected on procedural grounds alone. Before filing, check for requirements on page limits, font size, margin widths, and whether the court mandates a memorandum of law separate from the motion itself or combines them into one document.
Many federal districts and state courts require a meet-and-confer process before any motion is filed. You contact opposing counsel, explain the evidentiary issue, and try to reach agreement before involving the judge. If agreement fails, you typically file a statement certifying that you attempted to resolve the dispute in good faith. Skipping this step when required can result in the court refusing to consider the motion at all.
Timing varies widely. Some courts set a specific deadline in the pretrial scheduling order. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16 authorizes judges to hold pretrial conferences that include advance rulings on the admissibility of evidence, and the resulting pretrial order controls the course of the case.6Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 16 – Pretrial Conferences; Scheduling; Management Other courts expect motions in limine filed a certain number of days before trial without specifying an exact date. Filing late, even by a day, risks having the motion denied as untimely.
Filing, Service, and Exhibits
Once the motion is ready, you file it with the court and serve a copy on every other party. Most federal courts and an increasing number of state courts use electronic filing systems that handle service automatically. In courts that still accept paper filings, you deliver the motion to the clerk’s office and serve opposing counsel by mail, hand delivery, or another method your court rules permit.
Attach any exhibits the judge needs to see, such as deposition excerpts or the document itself. Label exhibits clearly and reference them in the argument so the judge does not have to guess why they are included.
After the Ruling
A ruling on a motion in limine is not always the final word. How the court rules shapes what you have to do next to protect your client at trial and on appeal.
If the Motion Is Granted
The excluded evidence cannot be mentioned during trial. Opposing counsel typically cannot reference it during opening statements, elicit it through witnesses, or display it to the jury. Violating a granted motion in limine can result in a mistrial, so the order has teeth. The court retains the ability to reconsider its ruling if circumstances at trial change, for instance if a party “opens the door” by introducing related evidence that makes the excluded material newly relevant.
If the Motion Is Denied or Deferred
Judges sometimes deny a motion outright, concluding the evidence is admissible. Other times, the judge defers ruling until trial, when the evidence can be evaluated in context. A deferred ruling is not a loss. It simply means the issue will be decided in real time. Either way, if your motion is denied or deferred, you must be prepared to raise a timely objection when the evidence is actually offered. A denial “without prejudice” is not a definitive ruling, and failing to object again at the appropriate moment can waive the issue entirely.
Preserving the Issue for Appeal
Under the Federal Rules of Evidence, once a court rules definitively on the record, whether before or at trial, you do not need to renew the objection to preserve it for appeal.7Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Evidence Rule 103 – Rulings on Evidence The key word is “definitively.” If the judge says “I’ll deal with it at trial” or denies the motion without prejudice, that is not a definitive ruling, and you need to object again when the evidence comes up.
There is an important wrinkle in criminal cases involving prior convictions. The Supreme Court held in Luce v. United States that a defendant who moves to exclude a prior conviction under Rule 609 and loses must actually take the stand and testify to preserve the issue for appeal.8Justia U.S. Supreme Court. Luce v. United States, 469 U.S. 38 (1984) If the defendant chooses not to testify, the appellate court has no way to evaluate whether the ruling actually affected the trial. That creates a difficult strategic choice: testify and risk the prior conviction coming in, or stay silent and forfeit the appellate argument.
Mistakes That Get Motions Denied
Motions in limine fail for predictable reasons. The most frequent is being too vague about what evidence you want excluded. “All hearsay” is not a motion in limine. It is a restatement of the rules of evidence. Identify the specific statement, document, or category of testimony.
Another common error is filing a motion in limine for an issue that should be handled through a regular objection at trial. Not every evidentiary dispute justifies a pretrial motion. The strongest candidates are situations where merely hearing the evidence, even briefly before an objection is sustained, would prejudice your client. Gruesome photographs, inflammatory prior acts, and inadmissible but emotionally powerful testimony all fit. If the evidence can be handled with a simple objection and a curative instruction, a motion in limine may strike the judge as overkill.
Watch the tone. A motion in limine is a request for a legal ruling, not an opportunity to editorialize about opposing counsel’s trial strategy. Judges grant motions based on the rules of evidence, not on how outraged you sound. State the rule, apply the facts, cite the case law, and stop.