Frank Caprio, the American judge who won global admiration for his compassion and courtesy in court, has died aged 88, his family announced on social media.
Caprio, who retired in 2023 after nearly four decades on the bench in Rhode Island, became an internet sensation for his lenient handling of minor offences.
“It is with profound sadness that I share the news that my father, Judge Frank Caprio, passed away today [Wednesday], peacefully surrounded by family and friends after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer,” his son, David Caprio, said in a video posted on Instagram.
His family described him as “beloved around the world for his deep compassion, humility, and unwavering faith in the goodness of people”.
Caprio had asked for prayers in a video from his hospital bed on Tuesday, revealing a health setback.
His reality courtroom series, Caught in Providence, launched in 2000, showed his sympathetic approach to defendants facing traffic and parking violations. Clips, often highlighting him dismissing fines for struggling families, went viral worldwide.
Caprio, dubbed “the nicest judge in the world”, also wrote an autobiography, Compassion in the Court: Life-Changing Stories from America’s Nicest Judge.
Born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1936, Caprio worked several jobs in his youth, including shining shoes and delivering newspapers. He studied law at night while teaching, eventually serving as Providence’s municipal court chief judge from 1985 until his retirement.
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee ordered state flags to fly at half-mast, praising him as “a symbol of empathy on the bench”.
His family said he would be remembered as “a respected judge and a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend”.