2LT International News

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island: Frank Caprio, the retired Rhode Island judge whose blend of humor, empathy, and compassion in the courtroom made him an unlikely global star through the show Caught in Providence, has died at 88.

Caprio’s family said August 20 that he “passed away peacefully” after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Just last week, he had shared a final message on Facebook, acknowledging a health setback, asking for prayers, and thanking supporters for their kindness.

A municipal judge in Providence for nearly four decades, Caprio became known as the “kindest judge in America.” His courtroom became a stage for humanity as much as for the law: traffic tickets were dismissed with a smile, parents were judged with the help of their children, and strangers were shown patience in moments of hardship.

The cases were often minor — parking violations, speeding, noise complaints — but Caprio’s approach was anything but ordinary. He used compassion, humor, and even storytelling to remind defendants that justice could be fair without being harsh.

Clips from Caught in Providence, filmed in his courtroom and later uploaded online, amassed more than a billion views worldwide. His videos resonated far beyond Rhode Island, finding fans as far as China, where social media users praised the warmth and humanity of his rulings.

Caprio often used his platform to highlight broader inequities in the justice system. “The phrase, ‘with liberty and justice for all,’ represents the idea that justice should be accessible to everyone,” he said in one segment. “However, it is not. Almost 90 percent of low-income Americans are forced to battle civil issues alone.”

Some of his most memorable moments involved acts of grace. In one viral clip, he dismissed fines for a grieving mother who had lost her son. In another, after excusing a red-light violation for an underpaid bartender, he reminded viewers never to skip out on their bills — a mix of leniency and moral lesson delivered with a smile.

Caprio retired from the Providence bench in 2023, leaving behind a legacy of decency that contrasted sharply with the harsh tones of many television courtrooms.

Born in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence, the second of three boys, Caprio often said his upbringing instilled the values of fairness and compassion that shaped his judicial career. “We live in a very contentious society,” he reflected in 2017. “I would hope that people will see that we can dispense justice without being oppressive.”

Tributes poured in after news of his death. Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee called him “a symbol of empathy on the bench, showing us what is possible when justice is tempered with humanity.” His family remembered him as a “devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend,” beloved for his “compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people.”

“He touched the lives of millions,” the family wrote. “His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him.”