Opinion ID: 2111897
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Coleman's Motion in Limine.

Text: Coleman misperceives the nature and function of a motion in limine, which were discussed in State v. Tomrdle, 214 Neb. 580, 585-86, 335 N.W.2d 279, 283 (1983): A motion in limine is a procedural step to prevent prejudicial evidence from reaching the jury. Cf. State v. Bennett, [122] R.I. [276], 405 A.2d 1181 (1979). As explained in Lagenour v. State, 268 Ind. 441, 450, 376 N.E.2d 475, 481 (1978): [I]t is not the office of a motion in limine to obtain a final ruling upon the ultimate admissibility of evidence ... but is rather to prevent the proponent of potentially prejudicial matter from displaying it to the jury, making statements about it before the jury, or presenting the matter to a jury in any manner until the trial court has ruled upon its admissibility in the context of the trial itself. As noted in Twyford v. Weber, 220 N.W.2d 919, 923 (Iowa 1974): It [the motion in limine] serves the useful purpose of raising and pointing out before trial certain evidentiary rulings the court may be called upon to make during the course of trial.... It is not a ruling on evidence and should not, except on a clear showing, be used to reject evidence. It adds a procedural step to the offer of evidence. ... As clearly pointed out in State v. Garrett, 183 N.W.2d 652, 655 (Iowa 1971): [T]he very purpose of the motion in limine is to receive an advance ruling on anticipated objectionable material.... [A] denial of a motion in limine ... cannot, in and of itself, constitute reversible error.... The reason is simple. The objectionable material has not yet reached the jury's ears. It may never reach the jury. In the same mode is the ruling in Twyford v. Weber, supra at 924, that where the motion is denied and opposing counsel attempts to ask the questions challenged in the motion ... a proper objection at that time is necessary to preserve the right to complain on appeal.... Stated otherwise, where the motion is denied the movant must base his complaint on the trial record. In view of Tomrdle, we expressed in State v. Cox, 231 Neb. 495, 506, 437 N.W.2d 134, 142 (1989): When a court overrules a motion in limine to exclude evidence, the movant must object when the particular evidence, previously sought to be excluded by the motion, is offered during trial and cannot predicate error on the admission of evidence to which no objection was made when the evidence was adduced. Thus, because overruling a motion in limine is not a final ruling on admissibility of evidence and, therefore, does not present a question for appellate review, a question concerning admissibility of evidence which is the subject of a motion in limine is raised and preserved for appellate review by an appropriate objection to the evidence during trial.