Attorney Rod Ponton struggled to turn off a kitten filter during his day in virtual court — to the delight of everyone on the internet.
Attorney Rod Ponton showed up to virtual court on time, even though it meant accidentally using a Zoom cat filter on his video conferencing account.
The sidesplitting video went viral on Tuesday after it was shared on Twitter and YouTube by Judge Roy Ferguson of the 394th Judicial District of Texas.
In it, Ponton appears as an adorable white kitten. His eyes and mouth move as he talks, but he remains in cat form.
Attorney Rod Ponton showed up to virtual court on time, even though it meant accidentally using a Zoom cat filter on his video conferencing account. The sidesplitting video went viral on Tuesday after it was shared on Twitter and YouTube by Judge Roy Ferguson of the 394th Judicial District of Texas. In it, Ponton appears as an adorable white kitten. His eyes and mouth move as he talks, but he remains in cat form.“Mr. Ponton, I believe you have a filter turned on in your video settings,” Ferguson says.
“Can you hear me, judge?” Ponton asks.
“I can hear you,” Ferguson replies. “I think it’s a filter.”
“It is and I don’t know how to remove it,” Ponton says. “I’ve got my assistant here and she’s trying to remove it but uh … I’m prepared to go forward with it. I’m here live. I’m not a cat.”
The hilarious snafu was resolved in about 20 seconds. Ferguson later tweeted some sound advice: “If a child used your computer, before you join a virtual hearing check t
IMPORTANT ZOOM TIP: If a child used your computer, before you join a virtual hearing check the Zoom Video Options to be sure filters are off. This kitten just made a formal announcement on a case in the 394th (sound on). #lawtwitter #OhNo @zoom_ushttps://t.co/I0zaj0wu6K
— Judge Roy Ferguson (@JudgeFergusonTX) February 9, 2021
Ponton told Vice that it was a mistake by his secretary. “I was using her computer and for some reason, she had that filter on,” he said. “I took it off and replaced it with my face.”
With so much buzz about the incident online, Ferguson held a Zoom press conference with reporters on Tuesday to talk about the surprise feline court appearance.
“Obviously it was amusing, but if you watched carefully, you’ll see everyone was extremely professional. The lawyer who had that happen was incredibly calm and displayed incredible grace in spite of what was a difficult situation for him undoubtedly in front of his colleagues,” Ferguson said.