Lawyer stuck with a cat filter on Zoom call
A Texas lawyer, Rod Ponton, accidentally left a kitten filter on during a video conference call with a judge. He was unable to change it and was recorded saying: “I’m here live. I am not a cat.”
Faced with hearing legal debate from the kitten’s cute but worried face, Judge Roy Ferguson of Texas’s 394th judicial district told Ponton: “I believe you have a filter turned on in the video settings. You might want to …”
The Ponton with the kitten filter on asks Ferguson: “Can you hear me, judge?”
Ferguson responds: “I can hear you. I think it’s a filter …”
“It is,” the cat-faced Ponton responds. “And I don’t know how to remove it. I’ve got my assistant here, she’s trying to, but I’m prepared to go forward with it … I’m here live. I’m not a cat.”
Ferguson: “I can see that.”
The video mishap soon became public as Judge Ferguson took the opportunity to use it as an example of human/feline fallibility as a teachable moment. He tweeted: “If a child used your computer, before you join a virtual hearing check the ‘Zoom video options’ to be sure filters are off.”
He added: “These fun moments are a byproduct of the legal profession’s dedication to ensuring that the justice system continues to function in these tough times. Everyone involved handled it with dignity, and the filtered lawyer showed incredible grace. True professionalism all around!”
