The court agreed to consider the question of “whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office.”

Trump had asked the Supreme Court to keep his federal criminal case on hold while he appeals a request asking for the charges against him to be thrown out, claiming he’s “immune” from criminal prosecution for acts he undertook as president.

The court’s decision comes after federal district and appeals court judges ruled against the ex-president, saying he is now “citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant,” and any “executive immunity” he had as president “no longer protects him against this prosecution.”

How the Supreme Court handles the decision has been closely watched, as Trump’s criminal trial has been on pause while the appeals process plays out, making its timeline dependent on the justices’ response to the case.

Trump has tried to keep the case on hold—with his lawyers telling the Supreme Court that “haste makes waste”—while the Justice Department argued delaying the case “threatens to frustrate the public interest in a speedy and fair verdict,” which is “a compelling interest in every criminal case and one that has unique national importance here.”