Zoom, judging by the epic profits that it was reporting back in September, seems to be one of the most popular methods of staying in touch with co-workers.

It has also taken on other uses.

In South Africa, a number of court hearings have been moved online using the platform, and the same is true around the world.

For those who aren’t particularly tech-savvy, this can lead to some fantastic errors, the most recent of which is the gift that keeps on giving.

It doesn’t matter how many times you watch it, it doesn’t lose its charm.

First, here’s a bit of background via VICE.

A court case in Texas was derailed when lawyer Rod Ponton showed up to a hearing with a kitten filter on.

Take it in – it’s glorious:

Let’s take a moment to process his need to assure Hon. Judge Roy B. Ferguson that he is, indeed, not a cat.

FYI, the case was pretty serious, says Ponton.

“Oh, that was just a mistake by my secretary,” he said.

“I was using her computer and for some reason she had that filter on. I took it off and replaced it with my face. It was a case involving a man trying to exit the United States with contraband and contraband cash. All it was was a mistake. It was taken off and we had the hearing as normal.”

Judge Ferguson took in all in his stride, tweeting:

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

He goes on to say that that:

“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!”

I’m glad everyone had a good laugh.

I’d also like to suggest that animal filters are used in all court cases going forward.

[source:vice]