Lawmaker Turns Into Cat Through Zoom Filter During Live Court Session

The Coronavirus era has relegated video call participants to a fate that is dictated by powerful technology, which may not be easy to use for all users. This was the case for Rod Ponton, a Texas attorney who has now become an internet sensation. Ponton found himself transformed into an adorable pet feline during a live court hearing.

Ponton was representing the state of Texas in the hearing, which reportedly centered on a person who had attempted to leave the US with contraband and illegally-obtained cash. Presidio county is on the US-Mexico border and includes the town of Marfa and much of Big Bend national park.

“If I can make the country chuckle for a moment in these difficult times they’re going through, I’m happy to let them do that at my expense,” Ponton said. Ponton’s accidental morphing into a wide-eyed baby cat is not the first pandemic-inspired video call mishap – and likely won’t be the last.

It is undeniably adorable and a little heartwarming too, as a grown adult finds himself embodying a cute animal with saucer-shaped green eyes.