What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Book of Alchemy' by Suleika Jaouad
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Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Frank Caprio, Rhode Island judge who drew a huge online audience with his compassion, dies at 88
PROVIDENCE: Frank Caprio, a retired municipal judge in Rhode Island who found online fame as a caring jurist and host of ' Caught in Providence,' has died. He was 88. His official social media accounts said Wednesday that he 'passed away peacefully' after 'a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.' Caprio billed his courtroom as a place 'where people and cases are met with kindness and compassion.' He was known for dismissing tickets or showing kindness even when he handed out justice. Last week, Caprio posted a short video on Facebook about how he had 'a setback,' was back in the hospital and was asking that people 'remember me in your prayers.' Caprio's show was filmed in his courtroom and featured his folksy humor and compassion. Clips from the show have had more than 1 billion views on social media. During his time on the bench, Caprio developed a persona at odds with many TV judges — more sympathetic and less confrontational and judgmental. In his bite-sized segments on YouTube, Caprio is often seen empathizing with those in his courtroom. Many of the infractions are also relatively minor, from failing to use a turn signal to a citation for a loud party. Caprio also used his fame to address issues like unequal access to the judicial system. 'The phrase, 'With liberty and justice for all' represents the idea that justice should be accessible to everyone. However it is not,' Caprio said in one video. 'Almost 90 percent of low-income Americans are forced to battle civil issues like health care, unjust evictions, veterans benefits and, yes, even traffic violations, alone.' Caprio's upbeat take on the job of a judge drew him millions of views. His most popular videos have been those where he calls children to the bench to help pass judgment on their parents. One shows him listening sympathetically to a woman whose son was killed and then dismissing her tickets and fines of $400. In another clip, after dismissing a red-light violation for a bartender who was making $3.84 per hour, Caprio urged those watching the video not to duck out on their bills. 'If anyone's watching I want them to know you better not eat and run because you're going to get caught and the poor people who are working hard all day for three bucks an hour are going to have to pay your bill,' he said. His fame reached as far as China, where clips of his show have been uploaded to social media in recent years. Some fans there posted about his death, recalling and praising the humanity he showed in his rulings. His family described Caprio 'as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend.' '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 wrote online. 'His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him.' State and local politicians mourned his passing and celebrated his life. 'Judge Caprio not only served the public well, but he connected with them in a meaningful way, and people could not help but respond to his warmth and compassion,' Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement. 'He was more than a jurist — he was a symbol of empathy on the bench, showing us what is possible when justice is tempered with humanity.' Robert Leonard, who co-owned a restaurant with Caprio, said he was 'going to be sorely missed' and was 'all around wonderful.' 'There is nothing he wouldn't do for you if he could do it,' Leonard said. Caprio retired from Providence Municipal Court in 2023 after nearly four decades on the bench. According to his biography, Caprio came from humble beginnings, the second of three boys growing up in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. 'I hope that people will take away that the institutions of government can function very well by exercising kindness, fairness, and compassion in their deliberations. We live in a very contentious society,' he said in 2017. 'I would hope that people will see that we can dispense justice without being oppressive.'
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Judge Frank Caprio, ‘nicest judge in the world,' dies after battle with cancer
Judge Frank Caprio, widely known as 'the nicest judge in the world' for his compassionate courtroom demeanor on the hit show Caught in Providence, died on Thursday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 88. 'He will be remembered not only as a respected judge, but as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend. His legacy lives on in the countless acts of kindness he inspired,' his family said in a statement. According to his son David, Caprio was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023. He died surrounded by family and friends. Caprio was known for hearing out the stories and circumstances of those who appeared in his courtroom for traffic and parking violations. The hearings and arraignments were televised through the show Caught in Providence, which aired from 2018 to 2020. Clips from the show continued to go viral on social media in the years after it aired. Caprio served as a municipal court judge in Providence, Rhode Island from 1985 to 2023. Just months before his death, he published a book under the title 'Compassion in the Court: Life-Changing Stories from America's Nicest Judge'.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
‘Ketamine Queen' Accused of Selling Fatal Dose to Matthew Perry Agrees to Plead Guilty
A woman known as the 'Ketamine Queen,' charged with selling Matthew Perry the drug that killed him, agreed to plead guilty Monday. Jasveen Sangha becomes the fifth and final defendant charged in the overdose death of the 'Friends' star to strike a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, avoiding a trial that had been planned for September. She agreed in a signed statement filed in court to plead guilty to five federal criminal charges, including providing the ketamine that led to Perry's death. In a brief statement, Sangha's lawyer Mark Geragos said only, 'She's taking responsibility for her actions.' Prosecutors had cast Sangha, a 42-year-old citizen of the US and the UK, as a prolific drug dealer who was known to her customers as the 'Ketamine Queen,' using the term often in press releases and court documents. She agreed to plead guilty to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury. The final plea deal came a year after federal prosecutors announced that five people had been charged in Perry's Oct. 28, 2023 death after a sweeping investigation. Sangha admitted in the agreement to selling four vials of ketamine to another man, Cody McLaury, hours before he died from an overdose in 2019. McLaury had no relationship to Perry. Prosecutors will drop three other counts related to the distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of methamphetamine that was unrelated to the Perry case. Sangha will officially change her plea to guilty at an upcoming hearing, where sentencing will be scheduled, prosecutors said. She could get up to 45 years in prison. The judge is not bound to follow any terms of the plea agreement, but prosecutors said in the document that they will ask for less than the maximum. She and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who pleaded guilty last month, had been the primary targets of the investigation. Three other defendants — Dr. Mark Chavez, Kenneth Iwamasa and Erik Fleming — pleaded guilty in exchange for their cooperation, which included statements implicating Sangha and Plasencia. Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home by Iwamasa, his assistant. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine, typically used as a surgical anesthetic, was the primary cause of death. Sangha presented a posh lifestyle on Instagram, with photos of herself with the rich and famous in cities around the globe. Prosecutors said she privately presented herself as a dealer who sold to the same kind of high-class customers. Perry had been using ketamine through his regular doctor as a legal, but off-label, treatment for depression, which has become increasingly common. Perry, 54, sought more ketamine than his doctor would give him. He began getting it from Plasencia about a month before his death, then started getting still more from Sangha about two weeks before his death, prosecutors said. Perry and Iwamasa found Sangha through Perry's friend Fleming. In their plea agreements, both men described the subsequent deals in detail. Fleming messaged Iwamasa saying Sangha's ketamine was 'unmarked but it's amazing,' according to court documents. Fleming texted Iwamasa that she only deals 'with high end and celebs. If it were not great stuff she'd lose her business.' With the two men acting as middlemen, Perry bought large amounts of ketamine from Sangha, including 25 vials for $6,000 in cash four days before his death. That purchase included the doses that killed Perry, prosecutors said. On the day of Perry's death, Sangha told Fleming they should delete all the messages they had sent each other, according to her indictment. Her home in North Hollywood, California, was raided in March 2024 by Drug Enforcement Administration agents who found large amounts of methamphetamines and ketamine, according to an affidavit from an agent. She has been held in federal custody for about a year. None of the defendants has yet been sentenced. Sangha also agreed in her plea deal not to contest the seizure of her property that went with the investigation, including more than $5,000 in cash. Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on 'Friends,' when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC's megahit series.
