The “poorest in the world” judge goes out at 88

(Washington) US judge Frank Caprio, star of social networks and television figure, reputed to be “the nicest judge in the world”, died at 88, announced his son.

“It is with deep sadness that I share the news that my father, judge Frank Caprio, died today, peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends after a long and courageous battle against pancreatic cancer,” said his son, in a video published on Wednesday on the Instagram account of Frank Caprio, followed by 3.4 million people.

Mr. Caprio, a retired judge of Rhode Island, state of the northeast of the United States, has built a reputation thanks to the television program he presented, Caught in Providence.

The show plunged the viewer into the magistrate’s courtroom, where, “people and business were treated with kindness and compassion”, according to his YouTube page.

It was thanks to this show, in which he demonstrated empathy with regard to people, notably prosecuted for traffic offenses and parking fines, that he won the nickname “the nicest judge in the world” and millions of subscribers on social networks.

Video extracts, with millions of views on social networks, often showed him abandoning prosecution for families in financial difficulties.

The announcement of his death aroused an avalanche of online tributes.

“Judge Caprio was a Treasury of Rhode Island,” the governor of this state, Dan McKee, announced on Wednesday, announcing the milestone of the Rhode Island flags, in his memory.

“It was more than a lawyer – he was a symbol of empathy in the courtroom, showing us what it is possible to do when justice is tempered with humanity,” continued the governor.

After 38 years in the service of justice, Frank Caprio had published a video on Instagram telling, emotional, having never forgotten his first day as a judge at the end of 2023.

After the hearing, his father, in the room, accuses him of not having been able to listen to a woman, mother of three, saying that he was unable to pay 300 dollars in parking fines.

“It never happened again after that,” recalls Mr. Caprio.

By announcing the death of Judge Caprio, his son made a message across.

“In his memory, please, show a little kindness today. I know he would love it. »»