Lawyer appears in Zoom hearing with filter. ‘I’m not a cat,’ he assures Texas judge

A lawyer appeared before a Texas judge in a virtual court hearing as a fluffy white kitten because he couldn’t turn off a Zoom filter.

“I’m prepared to go forward with it,” the attorney is heard saying while the cat’s mouth moves in sync with his words.

The cat’s eyes peer from side to side as the attorney and his assistant struggle to remove the filter, video shows.

“I’m here live — I’m not a cat,” the attorney assures the judge.

Judge Roy Ferguson shared the video Tuesday from the hearing in the 394th District Court in Texas with a reminder to anyone with an upcoming Zoom meeting.

“If a child used your computer, before you join a virtual hearing check the Zoom Video Options to be sure filters are off,” Ferguson tweeted. “This kitten just made a formal announcement on a case in the 394th.”

Ferguson tweeted that the courtroom responded to the mishap with “grace and dignity” and complimented the lawyer behind the cat filter, saying he “handled it beautifully.”

Ferguson later tweeted a more serious lesson to be taken from the video.

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

The 394th District Court includes Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties in West Texas.

This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 3:04 PM.