There is little more solemn than attending a court hearing. So when, during a Zoom video call with 394th Judicial District Court judges in Texas, an attorney appears as an angry-eyed kitten, the participants must confront an existential crisis.
This isn’t the first time an unwitting videocall user has had difficulty with filters; but this one might take the cake.
The video
Nothing could be more serious than attending a judicial hearing, where lives may hang in the balance. Yet last week at Texas’ 394th Judicial District Court hearing held via Zoom videoconferencing software, participants were presented with an attorney who looked highly un-professional: Rod Ponton had accidentally enabled a cat filter on his phone and was trying to disable it during proceedings – not the first time an unsuspecting Zoom user has fallen foul of a bizarre filter; hopefully it won’t be the last. Kathryn Rubino is senior editor at Above the Law and
The judge
Court hearings can be daunting events where lives may hang in the balance. Yet when Rod Ponton of Big Bend Law in Alpine, Texas logged onto Zoom to take part in one, in February, he found himself appearing as a kitten due to an internet filter his assistant’s daughter had installed that night!
Ponton’s performance drew laughter from his benchmates and viewers around the country, prompting the video to go viral, with many users sharing Ponton’s face as an enduring meme.
Now, Zoom cat lawyer merchandise such as T-shirts and sweatshirts is available online; baby onesies, hats and mugs also exist, with even Christmas tree ornaments and bobble heads featuring this beloved feline lawyer! I spoke with Judge Ferguson to find out what was next for them as they continued pursuing justice through cat-themed legal services.
