Providence mourns the passing of beloved Judge Frank Caprio at age 88

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — America’s nicest judge died Wednesday, after what the family called a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

The City of Providence is mourning its most beloved judge.

The Honorable Judge Frank Caprio, known worldwide for his compassion in the courtroom, died on Wednesday at 88 years old.

Caprio, raised on Federal Hill, first became a Providence Municipal Court judge in 1985, and only retired from the bench two years ago.

He was officially diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023, and on Wednesday morning, said on his Facebook page that he had had a health setback.

What made him so beloved, and famous, was his show “Caught in Providence,” which showcased him behind the bench.

That compassion in the courtroom, Caprio said, came from a talk with his father early in his career.

It ended up finding him a worldwide audience.

Caprio went viral on social media, with Caught in Providence having more than 16 million Facebook followers, and the judge’s posts on TikTok having a combined total of nearly 20 million likes.

With his mercy in the courtroom becoming the show’s hallmark, many Rhode Islanders said that Judge Caprio showed the best of the state to the world, and that he had left a mark that couldn’t be erased.

Earlier this year, he released a book chronicling his life and legendary career.

And after 40 years on the bench, the municipal courtroom at the Providence Public Safety Complex was named after the judge in 2023.

At this time, there’s still no information on when Judge Caprio’s funeral will be.

Governor Dan McKee has ordered state flags to fly at half staff until that point.