The Supreme Court on Thursday denied Alabama's request to execute Jeffrey Lee using nitrogen gas, blocking the state's attempt to carry out what would have been another execution using the controversial method.

The unsigned decision came after Alabama's Attorney General's Office petitioned the high court to reverse a federal judge's ruling that permanently banned the state from executing Lee through nitrogen hypoxia. Two lower court rulings had previously blocked the execution method.

Lower courts determined that nitrogen gas execution violates the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. The federal court decisions led Alabama to appeal to the Supreme Court in an effort to proceed with Lee's scheduled execution.

Lee, who was convicted of murder, will have his execution delayed as a result of the Supreme Court's decision. However, he still faces the death penalty and could potentially be executed through other approved methods.

The ruling represents the latest development in an ongoing legal battle over nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method. Alabama has been among the states exploring nitrogen gas as an alternative to lethal injection, but the method has faced constitutional challenges in federal courts.

The Supreme Court's decision could influence broader legal fights over the use of nitrogen gas for executions, as other states consider adopting similar methods amid ongoing debates about capital punishment procedures.