Caprio earned worldwide attention for the kindness and compassion he brought to the courtroom
Frank Caprio, the judge who became an online sensation for mixing humor with compassion in the courtroom, has sadly passed away at 88.
His son confirmed on August 20 that the much-respected judge lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.
Caprio rose to fame as the face of Caught In Providence, a courtroom reality show where he often balanced the seriousness of the law with lightheartedness and understanding, showing mercy to many who stood before him.
A heartfelt statement from his family read: “Judge Frank Caprio passed away peacefully at the age of 88 after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond.”
“His warmth, humour, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him. He will be remembered not only as a respected judge but as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. His legacy lives on in the countless acts of kindness he inspired.”
“In his honour, may we each strive to bring a little more compassion into the world – just as he did every day.”
Known fondly as the ‘nicest judge in the world’, Caprio recorded a final video from his hospital bed shortly before his death. In it, he shared that he had faced ‘a setback’ and asked his supporters to keep him in their prayers.
Since news of his passing broke, tributes have poured in from around the world. Yet some of the most lasting memories of him are the viral clips that captured his warmth, humor, and thoughtful decisions in court.
“How about five days in jail?”
One of Caprio’s best-loved courtroom moments happened when he had to decide on the case of a woman who was ticketed for driving just one mile per hour over the limit.
The woman had brought all five of her children with her to court. Caprio asked her to choose which of them loved talking the most, and then invited that child to stand by his side and help.
The little boy had a favorite word—‘yes’—and he cheerfully answered almost every question with it, much to the delight of everyone watching.
“Should we fine her some money or should we let her go for nothing?” the judge asked.
“Yes!” replied the boy, before quickly changing his mind to: “Yes money!”
“How about $50?”
“Yes!”
“How about $35 court costs?”
“Yes!”“How about five days in jail?”
“Yes!”
The judge joked that someone should ‘get the cuffs,’ but instead he gently encouraged the boy to say his mom had only been one mile over the speed limit, which led to the case being dismissed.
The mother of five walked away relieved, with the child’s playful verdict ensuring she was let off the hook.
“So you want to charge her $50? Ok…”
This wasn’t the only time Caprio brought children into his rulings. In another memorable case, a woman faced a fine for parking on the pavement. He called her daughter forward to help decide the outcome.
He asked the girl if she wanted to be a judge when she grew up, but she told him she dreamed of being a teacher instead. Caprio smiled and encouraged her, saying it was a wonderful goal to aim for.
He explained that her mother could face a fine of $100, which could even rise to $300 with penalties added.
The judge laid out all the possible outcomes. Her mom could pay the full fine, pay only $50, or be forgiven completely. Although she had the chance to let her mother go free, the girl picked the $50 option instead.
“You can’t charge her zero, right?” the judge asked her, and she responded firmly: “No.”
“We can’t charge you zero,” Caprio teased the mom with a grin. But when he found out that the children had skipped breakfast to come to court, he softened once again. He said he would cancel the fine if she promised to treat her kids to breakfast right after leaving.
“You’ve paid enough money, I’m not gonna charge you anything”
Another standout ruling came in a case involving a nervous student who had been ticketed for parking during an emergency.
The young woman explained that she had no other choice but to leave her car where she did, especially since she had been warned of incoming snow.
She admitted that even the towing company told her she might be forgiven if she told the court she was a struggling student. So, she nervously made her case in front of Caprio.
Caprio learned that the student had already paid money to the towing company and was now expected to pay the ticket on top of that. Touched by her honesty and anxious demeanor, he said: “Let me tell you how I feel, you’ve paid enough money for the two, I’m not gonna charge you anything for the ticket.”
He wished her good luck and later reflected that although she had some of the typical signs of a liar, he believed her story was genuine and that her nerves were simply showing through.
“An honest boy, shake hands”
Caprio often called children to the bench, and one case involving a speeding father highlighted his playful style once again.
The man had been caught going 35 mph in a 25 mph zone. He explained that he hadn’t seen a speed limit sign and assumed he was fine following the cars ahead of him.
Since the local rule stated that if no sign is visible, the speed limit defaults to 25 mph, Caprio asked the man’s son to step forward and help with the verdict.
“I’m gonna ask you two questions, okay? And you gonna say one or the other, we’re talking about your father,” Caprio told the boy as the courtroom waited for his response.
“Now you’re gonna say guilty, or not guilty. What do you say?”“Guilty,” the boy replied with confidence, leaving the whole courtroom in stitches.
Caprio chuckled, calling him “An honest boy, shake hands”, and praised the father for raising such a wonderful family. He also credited the man’s clean driving record when making his final decision.
“You go through this every day?”
Caprio didn’t just invite children to weigh in on cases. In one unforgettable trial, he asked a wife to judge her husband after he was caught running a red light while driving her car.
Because the car was registered in her name, she had received the fine. But once the details were reviewed, it was revealed that her husband had run the light by just three-tenths of a second.
Her first reaction was to declare, ‘I’m not guilty, he is,’ insisting that if anyone was paying the ticket, it shouldn’t be her.
She admitted that after watching the video, she would have said ‘guilty’ if she had been a police officer. However, after Caprio pointed out just how close the timing was, she softened her stance and called it ‘not much.’
The judge then turned to the husband and asked: “You go through this every day?”
“We’ve been happily married for 43 years,” the wife said before turning to her husband and asking, “Right?”
“Yes dear,” the husband answered, proving he had learned well after 43 years of marriage.
The court erupted with laughter, and in the end, the wife agreed to forgive him—as long as he promised to take her out for dinner. With that, Caprio dismissed the case, leaving everyone smiling.