Which of the following terms refers to a preliminary step in legal proceedings?

The term "in limine" refers to pretrial motions or actions taken to address certain legal issues before a trial begins. This Latin phrase translates to "at the threshold," indicating that these motions are made at the beginning of the legal proceedings, often to exclude certain evidence from being presented to the jury or to resolve procedural matters ahead of time.

Using "in limine," attorneys seek to prevent prejudicial evidence or testimony from influencing the jury's perceptions. For example, if one party wishes to argue that a particular piece of evidence is irrelevant or inflammatory, they might file an "in limine" motion to keep it out of the trial's proceedings until the judge can make a ruling.

In contrast, the other terms have different legal meanings. "In re" is typically used to denote a case type, often in reference to matters of bankruptcy or probate, indicating "in the matter of." "In personam" relates to the jurisdiction of a court over a specific individual or entity, often in relation to personal rights. Finally, "information" refers to a formal accusation in criminal cases, which is different from a preliminary step in the overall legal process. Thus, understanding these distinctions highlights why "in limine" is the appropriate choice when referencing