Compassionate retired judge, YouTube personality Frank Caprio dies

Frank Caprio
Frank Caprio FILE PHOTO: Frank Caprio attends the 51st annual Daytime Emmys Awards at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Los Angeles on June 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. He died on Aug. 20 at the age of 88. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images) (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

A retired judge who became an internet sensation for showing compassion in a courtroom has died.

Frank Caprio was 88.

Caprio’s official social media accounts said he died on Aug 20 after a “long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer,” The Associated Press reported.

A post on his Instagram account read, "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, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him."

It ended with, "In his honor, may we each strive to bring a little more compassion into the world — just as he did every day."

Last week, he said he had suffered “a setback” and was in the hospital, asking his followers to “remember me in your prayers,” the AP reported.

Caprio was called the “Nicest Judge in the World” for how he treated those who were in his courtroom.

He would set up payment plans for people who could not pay their penalties in full, going so far as to waive their fines on occasion, Fox News reported.

Caprio would allow children in the courtroom to come up on the bench.

He also addressed social issues, including unequal access to the judicial system, the AP reported.

“The phrase, ‘With liberty and justice for all’ represents the idea that justice should be accessible to everyone. However it is not,” Caprio said in a video. “Almost 90% of low-income Americans are forced to battle civil issues like health care, unjust evictions, veterans benefits and, yes, even traffic violations, alone.”

His fame on social media eventually led to the reality show “Caught in Providence,” which aired from 2018 to 2020, originally on local access television and was later distributed nationally, earning four Daytime Emmy Award nominations, according to Fox News.

He was remembered by Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, who called him a “Rhode Island treasure.”

Caprio, who was on the bench for almost four decades, retired from the Providence Municipal Court in 2023, the AP reported.

He leaves behind his wife, their five children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

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