"Under My Robe, I Wear a Heart": How a Judge's Words Sparked a Flood of Donations to the Courtroom [Book Excerpt]

The late Italian-American judge Frank Caprio, acclaimed as "the kindest judge," was nominated for four Emmy Awards for his courtroom reality show, touching countless people with the listening, understanding, and respect he demonstrated. After watching the show, a single mother on a basic salary sent him a $20 check to help those in need, sparking a cycle of kindness as donations of all sizes poured into the court from home and abroad. Caprio, who came from a humble background with his grandfather and father both being laborers, always remembered in court that he was not facing cold cases, but that a ticket or a mistake could carry the weight of an entire family. He unexpectedly became a TV and internet star in his later years, with his Emmy-nominated show "Caught in Providence" amassing over 20 million social media followers and billions of video views, earning him the title "the kindest judge in the world" from netizens. Caprio passed away from pancreatic cancer in August 2025, and his memoir "Compassion Under the Gavel" was recently published in Taiwan. CNA has obtained authorization to share a different view of the judicial landscape. His actions led to the creation of the "Filomena Fund," named after his mother, which used donations to help defendants in financial hardship. After his retirement in 2023, the fund was transferred to the Rhode Island Foundation to support various charities.