Texas death row case: Supreme Court grapples with prayer, touch in execution chamber

For Pastor Dana Moore, the request is straightforward. He wants to hold hands and pray with a member of his congregation.

But Moore’s otherwise simple desire is caught up in an epic legal struggle at the Supreme Court because of where and with whom he wants to do his work: A Texas execution chamber where the state intends to put convicted murderer John Ramirez to death.

"I just want to be able to touch John," said Moore, who for years has made the four-hour drive once a month from his Second Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Texas, to minister to Ramirez in prison. "If I'm standing right by him, why can't I just reach out?"