We Lost a Great Man, Fortunately We Have His Memoir: A Review of Compassion in the Court
I was very sad when I learned that Judge Caprio had passed away on August 20, 2025. I have been a big fan for several years; he was truly an amazing man. If you are a fellow channel surfer, or if you view court related YouTube videos, you may have come across the Hon. Frank Caprio on the TV show Caught in Providence. The show is a series of filmed court hearings in a court call of parking or other minor driving or vehicle infractions. The episodes often feature colorful litigants with challenging situations that Judge Caprio deftly addresses. You can sample it at www.youtube.com/@CaughtinProvidence. Or see his interview on CBS Sunday Morning, https://youtu.be/WS1Yu9whOY4?si=WI7jm1vq5dDYsdRt
Earlier this year Judge Caprio released a book about his life, Compassion in the Court and he left us a great gift; he gave us more than just a memoir—he offered a heartfelt meditation on the role of kindness, empathy, and humanity within the justice system. Especially for practitioners and judges, this book gives us a deeper look at the philosophy behind his approach and is a textbook on how to model and deliver procedural fairness. The book ultimately is a call to members of the bar to improve upon how we approach our cases, our clients, litigants and witnesses, and how we practice law.
From the very first chapter, Caprio set the tone with personal stories from his childhood as the son of Italian immigrants in Providence, Rhode Island. He traced the roots of his values to his father, a hardworking fruit peddler who taught him that dignity and understanding should never be compromised—especially when dealing with people in vulnerable situations.
An early anecdote from this memoir which really moved me was the story of how the author’s grandfather got arrested one time for a minor disturbance. His grandfather and grandmother were Italian immigrants and spoke very little English. At the court appearance, Judge Caprio’s father and grandmother appeared and saw the when the judge appeared he was tall, ruddy looking, “great white-haired Irishman.” Judge Caprio added, “He looked like every Italian Immigrant’s nightmare.” At that point, Caprio’s grandmother screamed out to the judge in her broken English for mercy. The judge, then, noticing Caprio’s father asked him to translate that the judge knew that his grandfather was a good, hard-working man who had a bad night. The judge further said that he understood that Mrs. Caprio needed him home and that he wanted her to cook him a good meal as he dismissed the case.
That judge made a lifelong impression on Judge Caprio’s father by treating his father with “tremendous compassion and respect, without any prejudice or bias because they were immigrants, or because they were poor or because he was Irish and they were Italian, and with a great understanding of human foibles.” Judge Caprio’s father talked often of this, that judge was practically a saint in the Caprio household, and perhaps above all, it prompted Judge Caprio’s father to want him to be a lawyer. Judge Caprio remembered this story often as he “hoped to treat each person with the same compassion and understanding that the judge gave my grandfather.”
This is a remarkable vignette on several levels. To begin with we are challenged to see that someone can look beyond their life experiences and circumstances and find a shared humanity and common ground with a person from a different background. We are also confronted by the realization that our first fears and apprehensions based on perceptions and appearances are often misplaced. It is amazing to think that this one morning in a Providence, RI courtroom would plant the seed for a man not even born to want to ultimately become a lawyer and then serve as a judge dispensing justice in the very same courthouse. It reminded me in a profound way that as we practice law and handle cases, we often touch people’s lives in a life changing way that we don’t even realize. The kindness or compassion—or anger or ridicule—we have shown can truly affect people for generations.
Frank Caprio recounted a variety of real-life cases he presided over. His very first day in which he was less than understanding with a scared woman who could not pay her fines, and his father, who was initially so proud to witness his first day as a judge, was ashamed and called him out on his lack of patience. My favorite case involved ninety-six-year-old Victor Colella who was taking care of his sixty- three-year-old handicapped son. The litigants were not just docket entries to Judge Caprio; the cases were windows into people’s lives. He often told litigants that he was rooting for them, that he was listening to them and he showed them respect. His reflections on these stories revealed the power of treating every person in court as an individual, not just as another file to close.
What makes Compassion in the Court truly compelling is its underlying message: that the legal system, often seen as cold or impersonal, has room for empathy. Caprio challenged especially the legal profession to reimagine justice not only as a set of rules, but as a process shaped by understanding, fairness, and, yes, compassion.
Perhaps the most important lesson we can learn from Judge Caprio’s remarkable life and story is that if we listen to one another and treat everyone with understanding and decency, we may just see that the results will be far better than we imagined. Promoting civility in the practice of law is more crucial with each passing day; the hurl of insults and invective in social media, in our public discourse as well as our less than kind interactions with other lawyers and the courts contributes mightily to the coarsening of attitudes and behavior. Judge Caprio’s approach to all who appeared before him reveals a path for us to break free from incivility and make a difference. Just like he has done.
Compassion in the Court is a powerful example that justice and the practice of law, at its best, leads to a recognition and acceptance of our common humanity. Judge Caprio didn’t just advocate for a better way to practice law or conduct court, he modeled for us what this better approach looks like, and how civility and decency can prevail. His life and legacy remain as an inspiration for me, and I hope you will be inspired as well.
Hon. John J. O’Gara is a Circuit Judge in the 20th Judicial Circuit, St. Clair County and a member of the ISBA’s Standing Committee on Law Related Education for the Public.