WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – A 22-year-old Michigan man briefly appeared in court over Zoom with a filter accidentally activated on his camera.
He was attending the virtual hearing to enter a guilty plea on an assault and battery charge stemming from assaulting someone in Van Buren Township in August 2025.
The man initially joined the hearing with a virtual background of the Golden Gate Bridge, but moments later, his video switched to a cat filter, drawing attention from the court.
“Aw, snap. My bad. I’m sorry,” he said as the filter appeared on screen.
The judge said that the matter would have to be delayed if the defendant could not compose himself.
The man quickly removed the filter, showed his face, and apologized again.
The prosecutor agreed to the defendant’s placement under HYTA, and the court placed him under 12 months of non-reporting probation and a fine. He was also ordered to have no contact with the victim.