A Bodiless Cal Ripken Jr. Appears In Zoom For Wife's Judicial Confirmation Hearing In Maryland
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Watch out cat filters and upside down congressmen, a new Zoom snafu happened right here in Maryland.
Baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. is the latest victim of Zoom's green screen.
Ripken's floating head appeared on a Zoom call for his wife, Laura's, judicial confirmation hearing.
Judge Laura Ripken was thanking the members for considering her and thanked Gov. Larry Hogan for the appointment.
While thanking her family for their support, she introduced her husband Ripken Jr. on the call, but when he appeared it was solely a floating head.
He must have been wearing green, which is why his body didn't appear on the screen.
"Joining me here today in our home office is my husband Cal," Ripken said, chuckling when his head just appeared. "He's been my biggest fan. Most wonderful husband imaginable and the best person that I know."
Ripken was appointed to the circuit court in 2010. Then rose to be the administrative judge for Anne Arundel County, administrative judge for the 5th judicial circuit, chair of the conference circuit court of judges. Ripken is also the judge who has been presiding over the case of Jarrod Ramos, a man who killed five people at The Capital Gazette in 2018.
Watch the moment here (scroll to the 16:00 mark)
He was a good sport about the snafu, tweeting a photo Friday morning with the caption "Here's proof that I haven't transformed into just a head and Laura hasn't dyed her hair purple."
Ripken Jr. is the latest victim to Zoom's features this week.
During a Zoom call earlier this week, Rep. Tom Emmer appeared upside down. The Republican congressman from Minnesota's mishap went viral after his appearance during the virtual committee hearing.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) asked if Emmer was OK.
"I don't know how to fix that," Emmer said after several members told him he was upside down.
"Can he turn right side up?" Waters asked.
Later, Emmer reappeared the right side up.
A Texas lawyer had the internet purring Tuesday, Feb. 9, after accidentally appearing in front of a judge on Zoom — as a cat.
After Judge Roy Ferguson calmly and without any laughter told Ponton what was going on, the attorney promised he and his assistant were aware of the issue and were working to fix it. "I'm here live," said Ponton. "I'm not a cat."
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