Rebecca Renee Haro, 42, is charged with the felony count, as well as filing a false police report, in connection with the killing of baby Emmanuel in August.
Haro, who is being held on $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail, is due to appear before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jerry Yang for a preliminary hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
The hearing may take more than a day to complete. But if all law enforcement witnesses finish testifying Friday, the judge is expected to make a ruling then on whether there's sufficient evidence to bound the woman over for trial.
Baby Emmanuel's dad denies claims that boy was victim of long-term abuse in new jailhouse interview
Last year, Haro and her husband claimed Emmanuel was kidnapped while she changed his diaper in a parking lot. That triggered an urgent search joined by community members and the baby's parents, who at the time pleaded for the public's help.
Emmanuel's parents were arrested in his death not long after. His body has not been found.
Parents of missing baby Emmanuel Haro arrested
According to court documents obtained by Orange County Register, a forensic pediatric specialist working on the case believes Emmanuel suffered from abnormal shaking of his extremities that could be related to a brain injury caused by abuse.
Emmanuel's father, 33-year-old Jake Mitchell Haro, pleaded guilty in October to second-degree murder, child assault and filing a false police report. He was sentenced in November to 32 years to life in state prison.
City News Service contributed to this report.