DeKALB | A court hearing has been scheduled for today for an NIU professor who allegedly assaulted a fellow professor with a metal pipe.

The alleged assaulter, Radha Balamuralikrishna, associate professor of technology, was arrested and charged with aggravated battery Dec. 4, 2006.

Since Balamuralikrishna’s offense is a Class 3 Felony, it is punishable by up to five years in prison. Balamuralikrishna could also get probation, said Joseph Cullen, first assistant state’s attorney.

Outcomes of cases like this are often hard to predict, Cullen said.

“It’s hard to say,” Cullen said. “[The case] could take a year before ultimately disposed of.”

At the hearing, Balamuralikrishna has the option to plead guilty or to request a trial.

“A lot of cases are decided by a plea agreement,” Cullen said. “If it’s not resolved by a plea agreement, it will be resolved by a jury trial or a bench trial.”

With a bench trial, a judge decides the case rather than a jury. The defendant is allowed to decide which type of trial he wants.

“The whole system has various different benefits to the accused,” Cullen said.

Technology Department Chair Cliff Mirman is unsure of Balamuralikrishna’s future at the university.

“He’s still on leave,” Mirman said. “After that, I have no idea.”