How-To: Write a Motion in Limine
| Background: | Your civil opponent will likely introduce certain evidence at trial |
| Problem: | That evidence is bogus and harmful |
| Solution: | You ask the Court to prevent the use of that certain evidence at trial |
I. Definitions
II. Legal Citations
• a federal statute;
• these rules; or
• other rules prescribed by the Supreme Court.
III. Samples
| # | Comments | ₧ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | ± TBD case. Pro Se Filing. USFLMD. Perjury from a State Officer. |  |
| 2 | | ✓ Granted | USFLMD | 2019 | Attorney Filing | Hearsay evidence explicitly prohibited by statute | |
| 3 | | ✓ Granted | USFLMD | 2018 | Attorney Filing | Judicial Estoppel | |
| 4 | | ¿? Unknown Outcome | Duval | 2012 | Attorney Filing | Plaintiff's Summmary, Fraudulent Transfer | |
| 5 | | ✓ Partially Granted | DOAH | 2016 | Attorney Filing | Florida Bar complaints, Code Enforcements... | |
| 6 | | ✓ Partially Granted | DOAH | 2018 | Attorney Filing | Iowa Bid Protest | |
IV. Templates
| # | Link | Comments | ₧ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | USFLMD Version | Replace all placeholder tags (eg "[plfName]" becomes "John Doe"). |  |
V. Application
- Purpose: To prevent corrupting the jury's ears with prejudicial information
"We use the term in a broad sense to refer to any motion, whether made before or during trial, to exclude anticipated prejudicial evidence before the evidence is actually offered."
- Appealability: Not Immediate (ie, orders on limine are not interlocutory orders)
"An in limine evidentiary ruling does not constitute a final ruling on admissibility, Luce v. United States, 469 U.S. 38, 41-42, 105 S.Ct. 460, 463-64, 83 L.Ed.2d 448 (1984), and an appeal of such an order is barred. Coursen v. A.H. Robins Co., 764 F.2d 1329, 1342 (9th Cir.), corrected by 773 F.2d 1049 (9th Cir.1985)...The rule is a practical one. There is no reason to spend scarce judicial resources reviewing a decision that may be changed due to developments at trial."
- Fluidity: Orders in Limine are usually entered without prejudice (ie, you can ask again if you're denied originally)
“A motion in limine presents a pretrial issue of admissibility of evidence that is likely to arise at trial, and as such, the order, like any other interlocutory order, remains subject to reconsideration by the court throughout the trial."
“The ruling is subject to change when the case unfolds, particularly if the actual testimony differs from what was contained in the defendant's proffer. Indeed even if nothing unexpected happens at trial, the district judge is free, in the exercise of sound judicial discretion, to alter a previous in limine ruling."
- General Warning: Make sure your request does not infringe on the province of the jury
“As the ultimate fact-finder, it is the jury that must determine, finally, where the truth in any case lies, and the district judge as gatekeeper may not usurp this function."
VI. Quick Commentary
- Bad News: Motions in Limine are "disfavored"; and, thus, rarely granted.
"Motions in limine are generally disfavored. See United States v. Amor, No. 14-20750-CR-Lenard/Goodman, 2015 WL 6438479, at *1 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 23, 2015). Evidence is excluded upon a motion in limine "only if the evidence is clearly inadmissible for any purpose." Stewart v. Hooters of Am., Inc. , No. 8:04-cv-40-T-17-MAP, 2007 WL 1752873, at *1 (M.D. Fla. June 18, 2007)."
- Bad News: there is no well-established Standard of Review. Thus, things are decided on a case-by-case basis; and judges have a lot of discretion.
"The district court has broad discretion to determine the admissibility of evidence, and we will not disturb the court's judgment absent a clear abuse of discretion."
- Download as many sample documents as you'd like
- Contact TBD for more free samples
- Feel free to use the templates (see Part IV - above) to help draft your 'Motion in Limine'
- Save the final version as a PDF file.
- File the final version in court
VII. Bibliography
- Acevedo v. NCL, 317 F. Supp. 3d 1188 (S.D. Fla. 2017)
- Coursen v. A.H. Robins Co., 764 F.2d 1329, 1342 (9th Cir.)
- Coursen v. A.H. Robins Co., 773 F.2d 1049 (9th Cir.1985)
- In re Seroquel Prods. Liab. Litig. (USFLMD 2/4/09)
- Luce v United States, 469 US 38 (1984)
- Palmieri v. Defaria, 88 F.3d 136 (2d Cir. 1996)
- United States v. McLean, 138 F.3d 1398, 1403 (11th Cir. 1998)
- USA v Frazier, 387 F.3d 1244 (11th Cir. 2004)
VIII. Conclusion
...POINTS & THINGS...
Please get the justice you deserve.
Sincerely,
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