APD arrests Austin attorney for attempting to hire a hitman

62-year-old James N. Walker has an office on the 5200 block of Jim Hogg Avenue in Central Austin, an office he practices law out of according to the State of Texas.

Austin Police documents say on September 11th, a man named "Joshua" called the homicide unit saying his frequent heroin dealer, who he only knew as "skip" was trying to hire him to kill someone he was having a dispute with.
  
After looking into who "Skip" really is, Austin Police met with Joshua and showed him an old booking photo of Walker.  Joshua confirmed Skip was actually Walker.

"We did an undercover operation using an informant.  The informant went in and actually had a conversation, purchased narcotics from him and the encounter was recorded," said Lt. Pat Connor with the Austin Police Department, Organized Crime Division.

Witnesses who wouldn't go on camera say Walker was in an old white police unit on Jim Hogg Avenue when he was arrested last week.
  
The court paperwork says detectives gave Joshua some money to buy heroin from Walker.
  
The two agreed to meet -- a meeting that was actually wired for sound and video.
  
Police say during the meeting, Joshua bought heroin from Walker and the attorney told Joshua he would pay him $1,000 to kill the person...and said he would work on finding him a gun to commit the crime with.
  
Walker also gave Joshua the would-be victim's first and last name and said a photo and address was on the way too.
  
Walker's office on Jim Hogg is discrete.  There's no signage and its attached to several other businesses.
  
The property owner who also wouldn't go on camera says the attorney has been a good tenant for years and these charges are surprising.
  
"I think at times, nothing ever can surprise you.  I mean, in any and every profession there's somebody out there that's doing wrong," Lt. Connor said.

As far as Walker's criminal history, there are just a couple of drug-related charges.
  
Now Walker is in the Travis County jail on a $100,000 bond.
  
The charge is "Criminal Solicitation Capital Murder" -- a first degree felony.