The Supreme Court heard a complex case this week interlacing the death penalty and religious liberty. John Henry Ramirez asked the state of Texas in several petitions if his Southern Baptist pastor could pray out loud and touch his body while in the execution chamber.

Until 2019, Texas allowed such requests, but it has changed its policy, forbidding religious advisers from the execution chamber by citing safety and security concerns. While Ramirez petitioned the state to maintain the previous policy, Texas reverted to allowing spiritual advisers in the room but specified they could not touch the inmate during execution nor could they pray aloud.