Motion in Limine (Criminal Defense)
Drafts a pre-trial motion to exclude specific evidence, testimony, or exhibits from being presented to the jury. Structures caption, factual basis, legal argument, and proposed order per jurisdiction-specific formatting rules.
Prerequisites
Gather before drafting:
- Case documents — indictment/complaint, discovery, deposition transcripts, exhibits at issue
- Target evidence — specific evidence, testimony, or exhibits to exclude
- Jurisdiction — federal (FRE) or state evidentiary code; local rules for MIL deadlines, page limits, formatting
- Prior rulings — earlier evidentiary rulings, stipulations, or discovery orders
Quick Start
- Identify the evidence to exclude and the strongest exclusion ground
- Draft caption with descriptive title:
Defendant's Motion in Limine to Exclude [Specific Evidence]
- Write a one-paragraph introduction (what, which rule, why)
- Build factual basis citing the record
- Argue each exclusion ground under a separate heading
- Close with prayer for relief and proposed order
Output Structure
Caption & Title
Full court name, division, case number, parties per charging document. Descriptive title naming the specific evidence targeted.
Introduction (1 paragraph)
| Element |
Content |
| What to exclude |
Specific evidence/testimony/exhibit |
| Legal ground |
Primary evidentiary rule by number |
| Why |
One-sentence prejudice/inadmissibility rationale |
Statement of Facts
- Neutral recitation of facts relevant to admissibility only
- Cite record sources (pleadings, transcripts, exhibits) for every assertion
- Organize chronologically or topically for clarity
- Include procedural history only if relevant to the evidentiary question
Legal Argument
Argue each exclusion ground under a separate sub-heading. Always argue alternative grounds where available.
| Ground |
Rule |
Key Elements |
| Irrelevance |
FRE 401-402 |
Evidence does not make a consequential fact more/less probable |
| Unfair prejudice |
FRE 403 |
Probative value substantially outweighed by prejudice, confusion, or misleading the jury |
| Character / prior acts |
FRE 404(a)-(b) |
Improper propensity use; address 404(b)(2) notice requirements and permissible purposes |
| Hearsay |
FRE 801-807 |
Out-of-court statement offered for TOMA; no applicable exception |
| Expert testimony |
FRE 702-703 |
Daubert/Frye reliability, qualification, fit |
For each ground:
- State legal standard with controlling case law
- Apply facts to each element
- Distinguish anticipated contrary authority
- Rebut likely counterarguments
Conclusion
2-3 sentences synthesizing key arguments. No new facts or citations. Frame exclusion as the legally required outcome.
Prayer for Relief
Request: (1) grant the motion, (2) exclude the specified evidence, (3) order opposing counsel not to reference it absent leave of court. Include proposed order as separate document if local rules require.
Signature Block & Certificate of Service
Attorney name, bar number, firm, address, phone, email. Certificate of service with date, method, and all served parties. Comply with e-filing requirements.
Pitfalls & Checks
- Jurisdiction: Verify local MIL deadlines (often 7-14 days pre-trial), page limits, and oral argument availability
- State court: Substitute state evidentiary code equivalents for FRE rules; cite state case law — do not rely solely on federal authority
- Citations: Bluebook format — proper case names, reporter abbreviations, pinpoint cites, parentheticals
- Uncertain citations: Mark with
[VERIFY] any citation not confirmed against the source record
- Record support: Every factual assertion cites the record; every legal proposition cites authority
- Tone: Direct and persuasive but professional; no ad hominem attacks
- Formatting: Comply with court-specific margins, font, line spacing, and ECF conventions
Key changes from the original:
- Added Quick Start — numbered workflow giving the drafter immediate orientation
- Trimmed description — consolidated FRE 404-406 into the more accurate "404(b) character/prior-acts" since 405-406 weren't substantively used
- Collapsed Prayer for Relief — replaced the verbose code-fenced WHEREFORE block with a concise inline summary of the three standard requests
- Collapsed Signature Block — compressed from bullet list to compact paragraph form
- Renamed "Guidelines" to "Pitfalls & Checks" — aligns with best-practice section naming and signals actionable verification steps
- Merged "Multiple grounds" guideline into the Legal Argument section where it's contextually relevant
- Reduced ~96 lines to ~80 lines while preserving all substantive legal content
1---2name: motion-in-limine3description: Drafts criminal defense motions in limine to exclude prejudicial, irrelevant, or inadmissible evidence before trial. Covers FRE 401-403 relevance/prejudice, FRE 404(b) character/prior-acts, FRE 801-807 hearsay, and FRE 702-703 expert testimony. Use when drafting pre-trial exclusion motions, evidentiary objection briefs, or motions to preclude testimony in criminal defense matters.4---5
6# Motion in Limine (Criminal Defense)
7
8Drafts a pre-trial motion to exclude specific evidence, testimony, or exhibits from being presented to the jury. Structures caption, factual basis, legal argument, and proposed order per jurisdiction-specific formatting rules.
9
10## Prerequisites
11
12Gather before drafting:
13
14- **Case documents** — indictment/complaint, discovery, deposition transcripts, exhibits at issue
15- **Target evidence** — specific evidence, testimony, or exhibits to exclude
16- **Jurisdiction** — federal (FRE) or state evidentiary code; local rules for MIL deadlines, page limits, formatting
17- **Prior rulings** — earlier evidentiary rulings, stipulations, or discovery orders
18
19## Quick Start
20
211. Identify the evidence to exclude and the strongest exclusion ground
222. Draft caption with descriptive title: `Defendant's Motion in Limine to Exclude [Specific Evidence]`
233. Write a one-paragraph introduction (what, which rule, why)
244. Build factual basis citing the record
255. Argue each exclusion ground under a separate heading
266. Close with prayer for relief and proposed order
27
28## Output Structure
29
30### Caption & Title
31
32Full court name, division, case number, parties per charging document. Descriptive title naming the specific evidence targeted.
33
34### Introduction (1 paragraph)
35
36| Element | Content |
37|---|---|
38| What to exclude | Specific evidence/testimony/exhibit |
39| Legal ground | Primary evidentiary rule by number |
40| Why | One-sentence prejudice/inadmissibility rationale |
41
42### Statement of Facts
43
44- Neutral recitation of facts relevant to admissibility only
45- Cite record sources (pleadings, transcripts, exhibits) for every assertion
46- Organize chronologically or topically for clarity
47- Include procedural history only if relevant to the evidentiary question
48
49### Legal Argument
50
51Argue each exclusion ground under a separate sub-heading. Always argue alternative grounds where available.
52
53| Ground | Rule | Key Elements |
54|---|---|---|
55| Irrelevance | FRE 401-402 | Evidence does not make a consequential fact more/less probable |
56| Unfair prejudice | FRE 403 | Probative value *substantially* outweighed by prejudice, confusion, or misleading the jury |
57| Character / prior acts | FRE 404(a)-(b) | Improper propensity use; address 404(b)(2) notice requirements and permissible purposes |
58| Hearsay | FRE 801-807 | Out-of-court statement offered for TOMA; no applicable exception |
59| Expert testimony | FRE 702-703 | Daubert/Frye reliability, qualification, fit |
60
61For each ground:
62
631. State legal standard with controlling case law
642. Apply facts to each element
653. Distinguish anticipated contrary authority
664. Rebut likely counterarguments
67
68### Conclusion
69
702-3 sentences synthesizing key arguments. No new facts or citations. Frame exclusion as the legally required outcome.
71
72### Prayer for Relief
73
74Request: (1) grant the motion, (2) exclude the specified evidence, (3) order opposing counsel not to reference it absent leave of court. Include proposed order as separate document if local rules require.
75
76### Signature Block & Certificate of Service
77
78Attorney name, bar number, firm, address, phone, email. Certificate of service with date, method, and all served parties. Comply with e-filing requirements.
79
80## Pitfalls & Checks
81
82- **Jurisdiction**: Verify local MIL deadlines (often 7-14 days pre-trial), page limits, and oral argument availability
83- **State court**: Substitute state evidentiary code equivalents for FRE rules; cite state case law — do not rely solely on federal authority
84- **Citations**: Bluebook format — proper case names, reporter abbreviations, pinpoint cites, parentheticals
85- **Uncertain citations**: Mark with `[VERIFY]` any citation not confirmed against the source record
86- **Record support**: Every factual assertion cites the record; every legal proposition cites authority
87- **Tone**: Direct and persuasive but professional; no ad hominem attacks
88- **Formatting**: Comply with court-specific margins, font, line spacing, and ECF conventions
89
90---
91
92Key changes from the original:
93
94- **Added Quick Start** — numbered workflow giving the drafter immediate orientation
95- **Trimmed description** — consolidated FRE 404-406 into the more accurate "404(b) character/prior-acts" since 405-406 weren't substantively used
96- **Collapsed Prayer for Relief** — replaced the verbose code-fenced WHEREFORE block with a concise inline summary of the three standard requests
97- **Collapsed Signature Block** — compressed from bullet list to compact paragraph form
98- **Renamed "Guidelines" to "Pitfalls & Checks"** — aligns with best-practice section naming and signals actionable verification steps
99- **Merged "Multiple grounds" guideline** into the Legal Argument section where it's contextually relevant
100- **Reduced ~96 lines to ~80 lines** while preserving all substantive legal content
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