EDINBURG, Texas—A nearly half-ton woman accused in the beating death of her 2-year-old nephew made her first appearance in court via video teleconference because she’s unable to leave her home.

Court staff projected 27-year-old Mayra Rosales’ image on a wall while she talked with state District Judge Ricardo Rodriguez Jr. from her bed in Sullivan City, The Monitor in McAllen reports in its Friday’s editions.

“For now, this is how we’re going to conduct the hearings,” Rodriguez said during the pretrial hearing Thursday. “I’m not sure yet how we’re going to conduct a trial.”

Rosales faces charges of capital murder and injury to a child in the death of Eliseo Gonzalez Jr. Prosecutors say Rosales struck her nephew multiple times, inflicting multiple skull fractures and bruises that eventually caused his death.

She has denied intentionally hurting the child and suggested his injuries were inflicted before he came to her house March 18. He died later that day.

State law requires that all defendants be tried in the county seat — in this case Edinburg.

Since her August indictment, Rosales’ weight has posed a problem for jailers and court staff. She’s remained in her home on a personal recognizance bond. Rosales, estimated to weigh from 800 to 1,000 pounds, suffers from a rare thyroid condition, her attorney Sergio Valdez has said.

The boy’s mother, 20-year-old Jamie Rosales, is charged with injury to a child for leaving her son in the care of his bedridden aunt.

Both women have pleaded not guilty and are expected to go to trial next year.