Every lawyer who has joined a video call knows the nightmare: you connect, and something is very wrong with your camera. In February 2021, a Texas lawyer lived it in front of a judge. Rod Ponton logged into a remote hearing on a borrowed computer with a kitten filter switched on, and spent a long, excruciating minute as a wide-eyed cat while he tried to find the setting to turn it off.
The presiding judge, Roy Ferguson, kept a straight face (“I can see that”), praised everyone for handling it with dignity and posted the clip with a reminder to check your video settings. The internet did the rest, and the Zoom cat lawyer earned a permanent spot on our weird, wacky and funny page. Before your next board meeting on video, check the filters. Then check them again…
“I’m here live. I’m not a cat”
Watch: Kitten Zoom Filter Mishap on YouTube, and read the story at Legal Cheek