USA STOTY: Though on first glance, the Providence, Rhode Island, judge looks like any other justice of the court — serious, unforgiving, ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ sᴛɪᴄᴋʟᴇʀ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴜʟᴇs — but once he starts talking, it’s clear that he has a big heart. Not only does he give people second chances, he listens to their stories, and takes everything into account — including how cute their kid is.
Chief Judge Frank Caprio has a soft spot for kids.
That’s exactly ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ when mom Samantha and her daughter Alexa took the stand last month.
sᴀᴍᴀɴᴛʜᴀ ᴡᴀs ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴄᴏᴜʀᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴀʟʟᴇɢᴇᴅʟʏ ʀᴜɴɴɪɴɢ ᴀ ʀᴇᴅ ʟɪɢʜᴛ. Judge Caprio was ʀᴜʟɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴡʜᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ғɪɴᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴏʀ ʟᴇᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴏғғ.
When the judge saw Samantha’s daughter, though, he asked if she’d like to ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀsᴇ from the bench. Naturally, she accepted.
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Judge Caprio immediately sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ϙᴜᴇsᴛɪᴏɴɪɴɢ Alexa, asking her everything from where she goes to school to what she wants to be when she grows up — a veterinarian, by the way — and what her favorite animal is.
He looks over to Samantha and says, “she’s precious,” and it’s clear everyone in court agrees as they laugh along.
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Finally, it came time to review ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴠɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ. Judge Caprio pulled up the traffic video of her mom running the light and had Alexa watch with him. When asked if he should ᴅɪsᴍɪss ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀsᴇ, she said yes, but her reasoning is what truly had everyone cracking up.
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“Cause mom was ғʀɪɢʜᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ by the man there…” Alexa said cautiously. “Did you tell her to say that?” the judge asked Samantha. “She’s good,” he continued. Judge Caprio went on to say that Alexa had made a very “ɪᴍᴘᴀssɪᴏɴᴇᴅ ᴘʟᴇᴀ.”
Watch the video below to see why the judge ends up ᴅɪsᴍɪssɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀsᴇ. Alexa may end up being a judge someday, after that performance!