Judge Frank Caprio died recently from pancreatic cancer aged 88. He was known as “America’s nicest judge.” From 1985 to 2023, he served as a Providence Municipal Court Judge. Some of the proceedings he presided over dealt with low-level non-criminal cases. Judge Caprio came from a poor background, an experience that encouraged him to put himself in the shoes of those who appeared before him. He was greatly inspired by his father, an Italian migrant who, as a milkman, often helped cover the payments of customers struggling to pay their milk bill.

A popular television programme called “Caught in Providence” showed Judge Caprio presiding over real cases. One of Judge Caprio’s favourites cases involved a 96-year-old man who had been caught speeding and faced a $100 fine. The man explained that he only drove when he had to and didn’t drive fast. The violation had happened while he was taking his 63-year-old handicapped son for cancer treatment. The Judge commended the man for his care of his son and then said, “Your case is dismissed.” Later Judge Caprio met the man again and shared an emotional embrace. The man said, “The best friend I ever had, there is not a better man on earth than you.”

Another man appeared before the judge after walking 5 miles from his home to the court. He had accumulated parking fines of $250. When the judge asked him how much money he had he replied 92 cents and said that after the case he would be walking home. The judge told the man he had a fund called after his mother, Filomena, and gave the man a gift from the fund of $250 to pay his fine and another $25 to get a taxi home. Then he told the man, “Now you must help somebody else. People out there will have similar problems and now you know how they feel. You are going to be in a situation to help them.”

Shortly before he died Judge Caprio posted on Instagram, “I have a deep and abiding faith in the Church, in Jesus, and in the power of prayer. A life built on kindness is a life that echoes long after we’ve gone.” Judge Caprio knew that immediately after he died, he would stand in judgement before Jesus, just as we all will. He knew his Saviour Jesus had died for his sins and had paid in full the penalty his sins demanded so that he could go free. Having experienced the love and kindness of Jesus while he was on earth Judge Caprio demonstrated in his judgements a blend of justice, grace and mercy that ultimately pointed to Jesus.