Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Motions in Limine — Standards

Mahaney v. Novartis Pharm. Corp., 835 F. Supp. 2d 299 (W.D. Ky. 2011):

Motions in limine provided in advance of trial are appropriate if they eliminate evidence that has no legitimate use at trial for any purpose. Jonasson v. Lutheran Child & Family Servs., 115 F.3d 436, 440 (7th Cir. 1997); Bouchard v. Am. Home Products Corp., 213 F. Supp. 2d 802, 810 (N.D. Ohio 2002) ("The court has the power to exclude evidence in limine only when evidence is clearly inadmissible on all potential grounds." (citing Luce v. United States, 469 U.S. 38, 41 n. 4, 105 S. Ct. 460, 83 L. Ed. 2d 443 (1984)). Only where the evidence satisfies this high bar should the court exclude it; if not, "rulings [on evidence] should be deferred until trial so that questions of foundation, relevancy and potential prejudice may be resolved in proper context." Gresh v. Waste Servs. of Am., Inc., 738 F. Supp. 2d 702, 706 (E.D. Ky. 2010) (quoting Indiana Ins. Co. v. Gen. Elec. Co., 326 F. Supp. 2d 844, 846 (N.D. Ohio 2004)). Even if a motion in limine is denied, the court may revisit the decision at trial when the parties have more thoroughly presented the disputed evidence. See id. ("Denial of a motion in limine does not guarantee that the evidence will be admitted at trial, and the court will hear objections to such evidence as they arise at trial.").

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