West Texas lawyer Rod Ponton accidentally appears in a virtual court proceeding this week as a cat.
Ponton, who practices in Brewster County, was participating in a court hearing in the 394th Judicial District Court and was using his secretary’s computer when he suddenly appeared as a kitten.
“Mr. Ponton, I believe you have a filter turned on in your video settings,” Judge Roy Ferguson said.
“Can you hear me, judge?” Ponton replied.
“I can hear you. I think it’s a filter,” the judge responded.
“I don’t know how to remove it,” Ponton answered. “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,” he said.
Judge Ferguson seemed to take it all in fun, and later issued a statement on the Twitter:
“If your child used your computer, before you join a virtual hearing check the Zoom video options to be sure filters are off,” the judge wrote. “This little kitten just made a formal announcement on a case in the 394th.”