Austin Miltenberger (Submitted photo)

A hearing Wednesday in Deschutes County Circuit Court discussed a La Pine man who is alleged to have tried to kill his mother with a gavel.

Defense attorney Karla Nash updated the court on her client Austin Miltenberger’s mental state.

Miltenberger, 24, was charged with attempted murder in 2013 after being accused of striking his mother in the head with a gavel with the intent to kill her. Miltenberger did not attend Wednesday’s hearing, and has yet to enter a plea in the case.

Miltenberger’s case has been drawn out as the court tries to determine when, if ever, he will be mentally fit to proceed with adjudication of the case.

In court, Nash said Miltenberger has been at a state psychiatric hospital for the past 16 months. Today, he will undergo another evaluation interview, and a review by hospital personnel will be handed over to the court by Feb. 17.

Nash said after the hearing that a defendant can only be remanded to the state hospital for a maximum of three years, at which point the case is dismissed.

A new status hearing has been scheduled for March 1.