Judge Frank Caprio, who starred for two seasons on the syndicated courtroom show Caught in Providence and became a social media star in clips displaying his compassion, kindness and empathy, died Wednesday of pancreatic cancer, his family said. He was 88.
The jurist’s death was announced on social media. “Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond,” the family’s post reads in part. “His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him.”
Born on November 24, 1936, in Providence, RI, Caprio already had presided over thousands of cases as chief judge of his hometown’s municipal court when TV came calling. Caught in Providence began as a local-access show before being picked up in 2000 for a run on Saturday nights on local ABC affiliate WLNE. It would air regionally for years, which many clips going viral, before Debmar-Mercury picked up the show for national syndication in 2018. It ran for two seasons in markets big and small until Caprio’s retirement in 2020, and clips from the Citylife Productions show have been viewed billions of times on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and other platforms.
In a 2019 interview for Rhode Island Monthly, Caprio said his wife Joyce suggested the local-access TV time should be used to show him at work behind the bench. “ “I didn’t like the idea actually, but of course, when my wife makes a suggestion, I usually don’t win that battle,” he said. “I agreed we would try it and see if it was something that worked. And there was an overwhelmingly positive response.”
Watch a clip from Caught in Providence here:
“All the segments of court in Providence are actual court proceedings, so it’s not a program and it’s not a court show, it’s actual real proceedings that are being televised,” Caprio told the magazine. “We show a slice of life of Rhode Island that is very interesting, and it reflects the same issues people are experiencing nationwide.”
He received the Producer’s Circle Award at the 2018 Rhode Island International Film Festival.
Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said in a statement: “Judge Caprio’s unique brand of compassion and common sense approach to justice caught the attention of daytime TV and social media audiences, making Caught in Providence a fan favorite. We will miss him dearly, and our hearts go out to the Caprio family.”
Caprio also served on the City Council for six years during the 1960s and later ran for state Attorney General. After he retired, his former courtroom was renamed The Chief Judge Frank Caprio Courtroom.
Caprio appeared as a judge in a 2007 episode Showtime’s Providence-set crime-and-politics thriller Brotherhood. His memoir, Frank Caprio Compassion in the Court, was published in February.
Along with his wife, Caprio is survived by five children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.