Financial crimes carry harsh penalties upon conviction. That’s why if you’re facing white collar crime allegations, then it’s crucial to do everything possible to raise doubt as to your guilt. But jurors are impressionable and imperfect. This means that even seemingly minor details of your case can be prejudicial to you and negatively affect your ability to successfully defend yourself. This is why pretrial motions, like the motion in limine, is so important.
What is a motion in limine?
A motion in limine is a pretrial request whereby you ask the court to disallow certain pieces of evidence from being presented to the jury. The intent behind the motion in limine is to, of course, protect your interests but also to avoid confusion and prevent the jury from becoming prejudiced against you without justification. It’s important to note that a motion in limine is meant to address the admissibility of evidence rather than the legal arguments of the other side.
When is a motion in limine proper?
A motion in limine can be used to address any evidentiary issue pretrial. Suppression of illegally gathered evidence, which we have discussed previously on the blog, can be addressed through a motion in limine, to be sure, but the motion’s usefulness doesn’t stop there. Perhaps the prosecution failed to timely disclose an expert witness, or one of the prosecution’s witnesses failed to show up for a deposition after being subpoenaed. These matters would warrant a motion in limine to exclude their testimony from being used against you.
Know how best to protect our rights
In the end, you’re entitled to a fair trial. A motion in limine helps you achieve that goal. But fairness isn’t always automatically given to you. Sometimes you have to fight for it. That’s why firms like ours stand ready to aggressively stand up for your rights and fight to protect your future.
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