Judge Frank Caprio has to be America's favorite judge.
The 82-year-old magistrate from Rhode Island has a popular television program that shows him dispensing justice, advice and humor in his courtroom in Providence, R.I. His brother Joe started filming the proceedings some years ago and the show caught on like wildfire.
There are other judges with television shows -- Judge Judy is a good example -- but none of them is as popular as Judge Caprio. It has been years since I received a speeding or parking ticket, but if it ever happened, I would be overjoyed to go before Caprio for my sentencing.
As a newspaper reporter for more than 50 years, I have known many judges. Some were local, some state and some federal. I have admired some of them and disliked others. There is nothing to dislike about Frank Caprio.
His late father emigrated from Italy at the age of 12 and became an American citizen. Caprio and his two brothers grew up in Rhode Island where Frank began life as a dish washer and shined shoes.
He graduated from Central High School and won the state title in wrestling in 1956. From there he went into politics, first teaching American government at Hope High School. He was elected to the Providence City Council in 1962 where he served for six years before being named as a delegate to five Democratic national conventions.
Judge Frank Caprio and his wife, Joyce, have been married for over 50 years. They have seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
A friend of mine once asked me to be a character witness for his brother. Red had been tried on some serious charges and a Superior Court judge in Phoenix, AZ. was about to sentence him to two years in prison.
I knew Red. He was divorced and a drinker, but he was a good father to his two children. I also knew the judge, having covered his court for my newspaper the Phoenix Gazette. On the morning of sentencing, I appeared in the courtroom and made a plea on Red's behalf.
The judge listened to me. Then he told Red he had planned to send him to prison for two years. Instead he granted Red probation. When Red left the courtroom, he was in tears, his children were beaming, and I don't think there was a happier man in the city of Phoenix.
I once even played poker against a judge. It happened in Las Vegas. When he told me he was a judge, I had to smile and admitted he didn't look like a judge.
“Don't let looks deceive you.” he said wagging his finger and smiling.
When Judge Caprio hears a case, he doesn't just take the offense into consideration. He considers the defendant's state of health, family circumstances, economic outlook and even his military status before passing judgement.
Defendants often bring their children into the courtroom with them. The judge will often invite the child up to his bench and question the child about his parent, school and anything else that strikes his fancy. Then he might let the child be the judge with a simple question: “What do you think I should do?” More often than not, Caprio will let the child pass judgement.
He explained his attitude to an interviewer once, saying: “I don't wear a badge beneath my robe. I wear a heart.”
When a teenager comes into his courtroom on a traffic charge, Judge Caprio will often waive the fine or dismiss the ticket after getting a promise from the kid that he will attend college.
One woman who faced $400 in fines from several traffic tickets broke down on the witness stand and said she had been coping with the death of her son who had been stabbed the previous year. She told the judge how her son's death had overwhelmed her. He dismissed the case against her.
Lest you think Caprio is a patsy, forget it. If he feels a defendant is trying to gain leniency by flattering him or lying about their case, he has been known to throw the book at that person.
“Caught In Providence” is one of the most popular programs on TV. At last count, more than 170 million viewers had watched it on Facebook.
Hundreds of viewers have told the judge how much they appreciate him and love his work. Some of them even think he should be considered for a position on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Caprio served as a combat engineer for the U.S. Army Reserves. When he is praised for his courtroom demeanor, he just smiles, shrugs and credits his compassion to his parents.
