The Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out the murder conviction and death penalty for Richard Glossip, an Oklahoma man who was found guilty of killing a motel owner but has steadfastly maintained his innocence and averted multiple attempts by the state to execute him.

The Supreme Court gave an Oklahoma death row inmate a new chance in the high-profile 1997 murder case. Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented.

Richard Glossip’s Supreme Court case became a focal point in the national debate over the death penalty, which critics say is unjust or unfairly applied.

The Supreme Court has thrown out the murder conviction and death penalty for Richard Glossip, an Oklahoma man who has steadfastly maintained his innocence and averted multiple attempts by the state to

The justices heard arguments in October in a case that produced a rare alliance in which lawyers for Glossip and the state argued that the high court should overturn Glossip’s conviction and death sentence because he did not get a fair trial.