Longtime municipal court Chief Judge Frank Caprio died Wednesday, Aug. 20 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, his family confirmed through social media.
He was 88.
“Judge Frank Caprio passed away peacefully at the age of 88 after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer,” the family wrote on Facebook. “In his honor, may we each strive to bring a little more compassion into the world – just as he did every day.”
Caprio, star of the beloved reality TV series “Caught in Providence,” was known for handling traffic violations with empathy and humor, giving viewers around the globe a peek inside an everyday city courtroom. The show ran for more than two decades, being featured on local television before being nationally syndicated. Through their screens, audiences saw Caprio prompt laughter and pull heartstrings while leveling with ordinary Rhode Islanders who made mistaes or were down on their luck.
“I don’t wear a badge under my robe,” Caprio said more than once. “I wear a heart.”
The “Caught in Providence” YouTube channelcontinued to publish new videos featuring footage from Caprio’s days in the courtroom after he stepped down, with new content appearing as recently as eight months ago.
Caprio also published a memoir, “Compassion in the Court: Life-Changing Stories from America’s Nicest Judge,” in February.
Caprio was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023
The judge announced his diagnosis in December 2023, crediting a “wonderful team of doctors” stretching from Boston to Providence, but acknowledging he was up against an “insidious form of cancer.” The judge said he wasn’t feeling well around his 87th birthday, which prompted a doctor’s visit.
Caprio kept his 1.7 million Instagram followers up-to-date with occasional posts about his health, sharing one video of himself undergoing a round of chemotherapy while listening to singer-songwriter Jewel, whom he said brought him peace. Jewel said she was “honored that I can bring some small amount of compassion and comfort” to the judge.
Caprio was sworn into a chief judge emeritus role in October 2023. The title, strictly ceremonial, came with neither pay nor time on the bench. News of the role change broke nearly a year before, when his son and “Caught in Providence” producer David Caprio told The Providence Journal that the judge made a deal with the council to transition out of his working role and into his emeritus role. At the time, it was unclear what that meant as even the council spokesman, Parker Gavigan, was unsure of what it would entail.
Providence Democrat Rep. John Lombardi succeeded Caprio as chief judge of the court.
In an interview at his swearing in, Caprio was excited that “Caught in Providence” had seen a Daytime Emmy nomination for the third year in a row. As in past years, it ultimately didn’t win, but went head-to-head with major courtroom dramas like “Judge Judy” and “The People’s Court.”
Caprio joked that maybe the third time would be the charm, vowing to go for a fourth if it didn’t work out.
©️Providence Journal
