The Supreme Court doesn’t seem likely to agree with a Kansas court that overturned the conviction of a man who admitted killing a sheriff.

The justices Wednesday seemed skeptical of a Kansas Supreme Court ruling that said Scott Cheever’s rights were violated at his trial for the 2005 shooting death of Greenwood County Sheriff Matt Samuels. Cheever was sentenced to die for the killing.

The conviction was set aside when the state court said a psychiatrist should not have been allowed to testify about Cheever’s psychological records without his consent. Several justices did not seem impressed with that decision, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor at one point asking Cheever’s lawyer if he had a preference in how the Supreme Court would rule against him.

A decision is expected early next year.