A former Birmingham attorney admitted, during a hearing Monday, to having slit the throat of his family's dog, Rufus, in 2012.

James Stewart Robinson, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree cruelty to a dog or cat, a class C felony, and one count of third-degree domestic violence.

The domestic violence charge relates to a photo of the dog with the slit throat he texted his now ex-wife and then leaving a voice mail to her stating "your day is coming girl," according to court records.

Robinson is to get probation under a plea deal with Assistant St. Clair County District Attorneys Gwendolyn Connolly and Lamar Williamson, who were appointed special prosecutors in the case.

Retired Clay County Circuit Judge John Rochester, who was appointed to hear the case, however, told prosecutors and attorneys that before giving Robinson probation, he wanted Jefferson County probation officers to do a pre-sentencing report to make sure there is nothing in Robinson's past that might prevent him from receiving probation.

If nothing that isn't already known is revealed in the probation report, the judge said he would agree to a probationary sentence. Rochester set Robinson's sentencing hearing for Aug. 3, but that date will likely change.

During his plea hearing Robinson admitted that when he killed Rufus he had an addiction to Adderall, which he was taking for ADHD.

"I crossed a line," Robinson told the judge.

Rochester pressed Robinson to say exactly what he had done in killing the dog. Robinson, after a brief pause, responded: "I killed him by slicing his throat."

Robinson has been on inactive status as a lawyer since his arrest.

"We want to thank (Jefferson County) animal cruelty investigator Dwight Sloan," Connolly said. "Without all his hard work and perseverance this would not have happened," she said of Robinson's arrest and prosecution.

Jefferson County Chief Deputy Randy Christian agreed. "Deputy Sloan is our expert when it comes to such cases and I've seen none better. He has a real heart for animals and zero tolerance for someone that would abuse one. He gives those animals a voice, and justice, especially when he runs across someone capable of what happened in this case. This was a special kind of evil," Christian said.

Robinson's attorney, John Wiley, said Robinson is "happy to get this behind him."

Robinson, in an interview with an AL.com reporter after Monday's hearing, apologized for his actions.

Robinson said he had been a recovering drug addict for almost a decade and had even been helping other lawyers dealing with drug addictions when in 2009 he developed an addiction to Adderall.

"I began to lose sight of what was important - my faith and my family," Robinson said.

Finally, in early 2012, his wife filed for divorce, Robinson said. He said he became angry, went weeks without sleeping, and was on Adderall when he ended up killing Rufus, an American Staffordshire bull terrier, on June 17, 2012. "I don't know why I crossed that line... I love animals and I love people," he said.

"Rufus was a very loving dog and I am horrified that I crossed a line that never in a million years I thought I would cross," Robinson said.

Two days after killing Rufus, Robinson said, he went to Bradford for rehab they said he had delirium and sent him to the psych ward at Brookwood Hospital. He said he then spent three months at Bradford and another eight months at a half-way house in Huntsville for his addiction.

Robinson said he wants people to know what happened three years ago is not who he is now. He said he also wants people to know "how terribly contrite and sorry I am now."

Robinson also apologized to any animal groups who are angry at him. "I understand their anger and I would feel the same way," he said.

Robinson had surrendered to police on Nov. 26, 2012 more than a week after he was charged with cruelty to a dog after a five-month probe that included canine exhumation and an investigation at a Florida animal forensics lab.

Police had said that Robinson killed Rufus, an American Staffordshire terrier, during a bitter canine custody battle with his estranged wife.

According to authorities and court documents, Robinson and his wife had been fighting over custody of Rufus. Robinson repeatedly claimed that his wife had killed the dog, but, after analyzing forensics, emails, text messages and voicemails, authorities determined that Robinson killed Rufus.

On June 22, 2012, Robinson was suspended on an interim basis from the practice of law. He subsequently filed a petition to transfer to "disability inactive status," and the request was granted July 10, 2012, according to the Alabama State Bar.

Robinson is now working in the business office of a Birmingham construction company. But one day he hopes he may be able to return to the practice of law.

Updated 7:30 a.m. July 7, 2015 with information about Robinson's text and voice mail to his former wife