A Texas Attorney has gone viral after he accidentally turned on a cat filter during a virtual court hearing on Tuesday. Proceedings had to be paused as Judge Roy Ferguson tried to coach Attorney Rod Ponton, of Presidio County, Texas, on how to turn off the Zoom filter that made him look like a furry white kitten.
In a short video clip of the hearing, Ferguson explains to Ponton that he had activated the filter.
"I'm trying, we're trying ... can you hear me judge," the attorney says, his kitten eyes full of concern.
"I can hear you, I think it's a filter," Ferguson replies.
"It is. 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," Ponton says before clarifying: "I’m here live. I’m not a cat."
"I can see that," Ferguson says, then explains how Ponton can turn the filter off.
In an interview following the incident, Ponton told The New York Times that he had been using his secretary's computer. He added that he was happy to make people smile, even if it was at his expense.
"If I can make the country chuckle for a moment in these difficult times they’re going through, I’m happy to let them do that at my expense."
Ferguson later addressed the incident on Twitter.
"These fun moments are a by-product of the legal profession's dedication to ensuring that the justice system continues to function in these tough times," he wrote. "Everyone involved handled it with dignity, and the filtered lawyer showed incredible grace. True professionalism all around!"
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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