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 Kentucky, 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. This helps to ensure that the jury is not exposed to evidence that may unfairly sway their opinion or that is not relevant to the case. The motion in limine seeks to address these issues outside the hearing of the jury, thereby protecting the integrity of the trial process. If the motion is granted, the court will prohibit the other party from mentioning or presenting the contested evidence without first obtaining permission from the court. Kentucky courts, like those in other jurisdictions, recognize the motion in limine as a tool to manage the evidence presented during a trial and to prevent unfair prejudice.