RIP, Judge Frank Caprio: On Francesco Mohapatra, a Mumbai baby named after the viral judge, and his other ties to India

The “Kindest Judge in America” Judge Francesco ‘Frank’ Caprio died aged 88, after a brave fight with pancreatic cancer. Messages from mourning netizens are pouring in, highlighting the number of lives he touched worldwide, all from a small court in Rhode Island.

 

His influence touched many Indians, and these are the top five examples:

 

1.  Francesco Mohapatra, a Mumbai baby named after the judge

 

On May 16, 2022, Judge Caprio uploaded a video clarifying that his given name was Francesco, shortened to Frank. He humorously added that he encouraged parents to name their children Francesco, so that the name would not die out.

 

The video montage showed the many instances of him telling pregnant mothers tongue-in-cheek to name their baby boys after him. And towards the end, he popped a surprise linked to India.

 

He showed a screen grab of a message from an Indian father, saying that he had named his son Francesco. Caprio said that he was “honoured and humbled” by Manish Mohapatra’s extraordinary gesture.

 

Mohapatra joined the judge on video conference from Mumbai and said: “I know that the rule of law exists, and that (the personification) of the rule of law is Mr Frank Caprio.” The family then showed baby Francesco on camera.

 

2. The ‘judge’ from India

 

Five years ago, Jamila Siamwala, an assistant professor at Brown University, appeared before Caprio for a hearing on a parking ticket. Her father, the India-based Dr Haidry Siamwala, accompanied her. An alumnus of California State University, Long Beach, Haidry was visiting Jamila.

 

Haidry told Caprio that he had seen him on Facebook and that he “was the kindest judge on this planet”. Caprio humorously accused him of trying to butter him up.

 

In the end, the judge invited Haidry to join him on the dais and pronounce a verdict on his daughter’s parking ticket. Jamila was accused of parking in an area where parking is banned between 8am and 10am. Jamila parked at 9:54am, six minutes early.

 

Haidry let his daughter go free, as Jamila had parked to drop her five-year-old child at school. Fathers and daughters, you see!

 

3.  The software engineer

 

In August 2023, an Indian software engineer (name unclear) was charged with parking in a tow zone. The judge found that the no-parking sign was at the end of the street and, hence, could not be considered a reasonable warning to the accused.

 

So, he was let go and was humorously asked to help the court with software issues.

 

4.  Donations from India

 

Thanks to his golden heart, Caprio would often receive donations from viewers, asking him to use the money to help deserving people who were facing fines. He received generous contributions from India, too, and would often announce it on his show.

 

He had informally called it the Filomena Fund after his mother, and this was later formalised. When he stepped down from the bench in 2023, the management of the fund was handed over to the Rhode Island Foundation.

 

This is how it began, says the RIF website: “In 2018, Angie Chesser, a single mother from Indiana and viewer of the program, was so moved by the plight of a motorist who came before Judge Caprio, that she mailed a $25 donation to the court, requesting it be used to help another single mother. In response, the Judge used the funds to assist a woman without many resources, paying forward Angie’s act of kindness.”

 

Many other Indians other than the ones listed above have appeared on his show.

 

5.  The last Independence Day greeting

 

This August 15, Caprio’s social media handles put out what looked like an AI image of him holding a tricolour in his right hand and a tricoloured wedge of cake in his left. Remember, this was the last week of his life.

 

Part of his message said: “To all my friends in India and those of Indian heritage around the world: may this day fill your hearts with pride, gratitude, and hope for an even brighter future.

“Your nation’s story reminds us all that when people stand together for justice and dignity, they can change the course of history.”

 

Thank you for everything, Judge Caprio. Most of all for your faith, humour, sense of justice, and for highlighting that one thing that all of us should hold dear—family.

World