WATCH | ‘I’m not a cat’: Zoom filter moemish leaves lawyer in court debate red-faced

Forget the battle to find the mute button and shouting “can you hear me?”, one US lawyer’s Zoom nightmare came in the form of a filter.

Texas lawyer Rod Ponton looked anything but professional during a recent serious court debate held online ,when he accidentally left a kitten filter on during a video conference call with a judge and was unable to change it.

In a video of the incident shared online, judge Roy Ferguson can be heard telling Ponton: “I believe you have a filter turned on in the video settings. You might want to...”

Panicking, Ponton asked: “Can you hear me, judge? 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. I’m here live. I’m not a cat.”

The judge's response? 

“I can see that.”

The judge later took to social media to share tips about virtual meetings.

“If a child used your computer, before you join a virtual hearing check the Zoom video options to be sure filters are off.”

“These fun moments are a by-product of the legal profession’s dedication to ensuring  the justice system continues to function in these tough times. Everyone involved handled it with dignity, and the filtered lawyer showed incredible grace. True professionalism all around.”

Meanwhile, the streets were a mess in reaction to the moemish: