Paula Abdul said that Frank Caprio, the late Providence jurist known as "the nicest judge in the world," was a dear friend of hers.

Caprio served as a judge in Providence for almost 40 years and often went viral on social media for dismissing tickets from residents who appeared on the show and shared their personal stories.

He was 88. "Judge Frank Caprio passed away peacefully at the age of 88 after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer," the family wrote on Facebook. "In his honor, may we each strive to bring a little more compassion into the world – just as he did every day."