It’s “Claw and Order.”
A Texas attorney was turned into a hangover by an annoying Zoom filter during a virtual court hearing, leaving other participants in the conversation with oppressive laughter as the judge tried to guide him through a solution.
‘I’m live here. I’m not a cat, ‘confused lawyer Rod Ponton meowed like a stray tabby in a short video clip of the accidental species swap – though his Zoom panel said otherwise, portraying him as a cute, blue-eyed kitten.
The 42-second clip was tweeted by Judge Roy Ferguson on Tuesday, along with some helpful technical advice.
“IMPORTANT ZOOM TIP: If a child has used your computer, please check the Zoom Video options before participating in a virtual hearing to make sure the filters are turned off.” Ferguson wrote, of the 394th Texas Judicial District Court, which includes Brewster, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Hudspeth, and Presidio counties. “This kitten just made a formal announcement on a case in the 394th.”
The clip starts with Ponton already showing a cat and Ferguson tries to fix the problem.
“I believe you have enabled a filter in the video settings,” said Ferguson. “You might want to have a look.”
The nervous “cat” assured Ferguson that his team was trying to remove the filter – but that he was willing to handle the case with or without whiskers.
‘I don’t know how to remove it. I’ve got my assistant here, she’s trying. But I’m willing to continue, ”said Ponton. ‘I’m live here. I am not a cat. “
The judge thanked Ponton for clarifying that he was, in fact, still human.
“I can … I can see that,” Ferguson said.
The lawyer then kept trying to guide Ponton through the problem, but the clip was cut before the snafu was resolved.
Virtual video conferencing has become a part of everyday life for many around the world since the coronavirus pandemic – often with embarrassing technical issues or unsolicited glimpses into people’s personal lives.
Last week, New Hampshire lawmakers were ordered to keep their animals out of the room during Zoom calls, although it was not immediately clear whether the wrist was also prohibited from becoming animals itself.