Long before it ended up derailing a job interview for a young chemistry professor, “Lawyer Cat” lived the life of an accidental feline. However, it was the covid-19 pandemic which brought this accidental feline into public view.
Texas attorney Rod Ponton found himself the target of Zoom’s cute kitten filter during a court hearing – just one of many viral moments during its pandemic outbreak.
What Happened?
Court proceedings are typically serious affairs, so when Rod Ponton of Presidio County, Texas made headlines for accidentally appearing as a fluffy white feline on Zoom during a civil forfeiture case hearing at 394th Judicial District Court it left attendees in shock. Since then he’s become something of an internet meme as people share his story online.
Judge Roy Ferguson politely explained to Ponton, who was still very flustered, that it appears he has a cat filter on and offered assistance in taking it off. Ponton had been using his secretary’s computer when she added it without his knowledge – it appears she didn’t inform him either about having added such an unnecessary filter.
Ponton said he was initially mortified, but now that the clip has gone viral he’s relishing his 15 minutes of fame. He plans on selling “cat lawyer” merchandise online – hoping the internet can help make that possible! To prevent future disasters he always checks Zoom video options before joining calls.
Ponton’s Cat Face
One lawyer’s Zoom cat mishap is just the latest example of hilarious missteps caused by schools and businesses shifting meetings to video conferencing apps during the coronavirus pandemic. But unlike hold music and forgotten mute buttons, everyone involved remained professional despite Ponton having an invisible Zoom cat filter appear on his computer to attend virtual hearing with Judge Roy Ferguson – it may have come via his assistant’s daughter swapping in Snapchat filters before logging on, Ponton speculates.
As one can expect at any court hearing, where lives hang in the balance, it was remarkable that this 69-year-old Texan managed to remain composed despite being transformed into an adorable cat. While struggling to disable the filter and his charming Texas drawl captured both its absurdity and our shared sense of humor perfectly.
Judge Ferguson’s Reaction
As a judge, Ferguson presided over drug offense cases and was an active member of the North Orange County Bar Association. Additionally, according to court records he prosecuted several domestic violence cases.
officers found Sheryl Ferguson suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the head and immediately rendered her deceased at the scene. They arrested Ferguson without incident and booked him into their detention facility – currently holding on a $1 Million bail as of Friday morning.
Plessy v Ferguson was an iconic 1896 Supreme Court case which upheld segregation within the United States. The ruling stemmed from Homer Plessy, who was seven-eighths white and one-eighth black, challenging Louisiana’s Separate Car Act of 1890 and its separate car regulations for Blacks in New Orleans. Plessy’s lawsuit held that laws that implied just legal distinction between whites and blacks did not violate Constitution, leading to Jim Crow laws and separate public accommodations based on race.
Ponton’s Remarks
Ponton denies having had any form of sexual relationship with Lipsen; however, sources in town claim they did have one.
He states that the 2012 seizures were illegal due to being “analogues”, thus violating California’s Controlled Substance Analogue Enforcement Act. Unfortunately, however, this law can be quite subjective and lead to prosecution for possessing products they consider legal according to existing state laws; an issue extensively examined in his original article.
Ponton presented data at a city council meeting last week showing that Brewster County prosecutors decline over 43% of APD cases for prosecution, suggesting likely cause and case preparation issues within APD. While dismissals might indicate problems within these departments, their dismissals do not always point toward misconduct or other forms of wrongdoing; please see Ponton’s presentation for further explanation on this point.