The lawyer appears on the Zoom court with the facial filter activated and must assure the judge that 'it is not a cat' - Tech Daily Magazine

Important Reminder: Always check your zoom settings before joining a video conference. 

Rod Ponton, an attorney who was about to present a case to the 394th District Court in Texas, recently learned this lesson the hard way. Pontoon got into a video call from Zoom with a filter that turned him into an adorable kitten. 

Judge Roy Ferguson can be heard in the video explaining the Ponton face filter situation, as the kitten's eyes move and his labia minora mimicking what the lawyer says. 

Ponton acknowledges to the judge that he is aware of the problem, but neither he nor his assistant can figure out how to turn off the cat filter. 

However, Ponton, still professional, confirms to the judge that he is ready to move on anyway. He even assures the judge: "I am not a cat." 

Readers may notice the clear warning label on the video that says "recording of this audience or live broadcast is prohibited." Violation of this rule can even result in a fine of up to $ 500 and 180 days in jail. So how was this clip uploaded?

IMPORTANT ZOOM TIP: If a child used your computer, before you join a virtual hearing check the Zoom Video Options to be sure filters are off. This kitten just made a formal announcement on a case in the 394th (sound on). #lawtwitter #OhNo @zoom_ushttps://t.co/I0zaj0wu6K

— Judge Roy Ferguson (@JudgeFergusonTX) February 9, 2021

Judge Roy Ferguson himself tweeted the video output, with an important zoom tip: Don't forget to check the video zoom options before logging in to make sure the filters are turned off, especially if you have any issues. 

The likely culprit behind this kitty-face crash: Snapchat's instant camera, which allows users to choose the app as a virtual camera in Zoom's video preferences. Just go to "Preferences" in Zoom and click on the Video tab to make sure you have chosen the correct camera in the settings. 

The Zoom incident in Ponton will surely not be the last at a time when the video conferencing app has become a necessity due to the pandemic. However, this is hands down one of the best Zoom-related incidents to date.

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