YOUNGSTOWN — Justin G. Traylor, 48, charged last summer with two counts of felonious assault and one of abduction after two St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital employees were jabbed with a needle, is competent to stand trial.

Traylor appeared by video Tuesday before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. His attorney, Paul Conn, and Mahoning County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Rich stipulated to the findings of a psychologist for the Forensic Psychiatric Center in Austintown that found Traylor is competent to stand trial and was sane at the time of the alleged offenses. The prosecution and defense accept the findings without the need to argue the matter in court.

Being found competent means Traylor understands the nature of the proceedings against him and is able to assist in his defense.

Traylor was receiving mental health treatment at the hospital at the time of the alleged offense, Conn said at an earlier hearing.

Traylor, whose address is the Mahoning County jail, was a patient at the hospital and was having blood drawn when he snatched the syringe a phlebotomist was using and held the woman against a wall with the needle to her neck, according to a police report.

He stuck the phlebotomist and a male nurse after the male nurse came to the phlebotomist’s aid. Traylor is also accused of fighting with police who responded to the episode, authorities said. Traylor’s indictment also includes charges of obstructing official business and resisting arrest. If convicted, Traylor could get about 25 years in prison.

Rich said he and Conn have had some discussions regarding a plea agreement and asked for additional time for that. The judge agreed to give the parties 30 days. The case is set for trial Jan. 18 and a pretrial hearing for Jan. 10.

Krichbaum then said he holds only one pretrial hearing in a criminal case. “It is when he parties are to be prepared for trial so that we can either agree to go forward on the following Monday or the case will be resolved (in a plea).”

If there is going to be a plea agreement, it needs to happen “at the pretrial,” Krichbaum said. “So 30 days for the pretrial and the trial to follow no more than one week thereafter.”

He said any motions to be filed must not delay the start of the trial.