Judge Frank Caprio, who is the chief municipal judge in Providence, the US, has become an internet sensation, thanks to his unique way of delivering justice. Caprio deals with parking tickets, speeding fines, arraignments for criminal offences and petty misdemeanours.
Most of the viral videos, which have made Caprio a global sensation, are from TV show Caught in Providence, which airs locally on ABC6-WL.
Caprio is also stunned by people's reaction to his videos and says that he owes everything to his hard working and immigrant father. He also revealed the reason why the videos have garnered so much attention.
"Not only in this country but around the world, I think that there's a sense that the institutions of government are not meeting people's needs and that it's a very contentious society," Caprio told the Daily Mail.
"I'm always mindful of the fact that the power of the sovereign, as opposed to the power of the individual, is so disproportionate. Shame on me if I represent the sovereign and I give someone something that they don't deserve. That's a strict interpretation of the law."
"I take it to another extent. If I think there are certain circumstances in an individual's life or it's a close call, I give them the benefit of the doubt. I don't subscribe to the theory that because you were charged you must be guilty," he added.
Caprio's family
Caprio was born on November 23, 1936, and was raised with two brothers. He initially worked with his father, an immigrant from Teano, Italy.
"He was a fruit peddler and married my mom who was the first-born of immigrant parents. My father was one of ten children and my mother was one of eight. They lived in an area called Federal Hill - sort of the Little Italy of Providence," he said.
His studies
Caprio went to Suffolk University Law School in Boston to study law. While studying law, he took a job of a teacher in his hometown to pay for his tuition fees.
He has established scholarship
Caprio has established a scholarship in his father's name at the university where he studied law and Central High School in Providence for students that come from first-generation immigrant families.
Caprio's work
He along with his two children works at Caprio & Caprio, a general practice law firm in Providence. He worked as an attorney during his early years. "When I first became a lawyer, whatever problem you had when you came into my office, I was an expert. I was still teaching school after I passed the Bar so I had night office hours until 11 pm. I would sit there and wait for these big, rich clients to walk in. They never did of course but I was still waiting!" he said.
His courtroom TV show
Caprio was not fully convinced with the idea of the TV show. He now gives credit to his wife, Joyce, and his brother, Joseph Caprio, for the success of the show.
"My younger brother, Joey, always wanted to do videography. When he was in his forties, he got equipment and volunteered to film graduations, police academies, weddings. He would do it for the love of it. A public access channel came into existence in Rhode Island and Joey was able to get two hours a day on it but he had this time and he was running out of things to do," he said.
"It was actually my wife, Joyce, who suggested that Joey film my court program. At first, I said no because I didn't think anybody was going to be interested in watching and I was going to be the laughing stock of Rhode Island," he added.
Check out some of Caprio's videos that went viral on social media.
Cute kid wins over the courtroom
A woman going through a tough year after her son was murdered
When a woman blamed her car clock
When a man broke the signal
When an honest boy's father was charged with speeding
The breakfast verdict
Thank you for your service
