US judge Frank Caprio, who became an internet sensation for his compassion and courtroom courtesy demeanor, has died at 88.

The retired Rhode Island judge, who served on the bench for nearly four decades before retiring in 2023, was announced dead by his family on social media.

“It is with profound sadness that I share the news that my father Judge Frank Caprio passed away today, peacefully surrounded by family and friends after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer,” his son David Caprio said in a video posted on the judge’s Instagram account Wednesday.

“beloved around the world for his deep compassion, humility, and unwavering faith in the goodness of people”, and an “example of humanity”.

Caprio had posted a video on Tuesday from his hospital bed asking for prayers after suffering a health “setback.”

His courtroom reality TV show “Caught in Providence,” which began in 2000, featured his sympathetic treatment of defendants facing traffic violations and parking tickets.

Born in 1936 and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, Caprio had worked multiple jobs, including shining shoes and delivering newspapers, according to his website.

He attended Suffolk University School of Law in Boston at night while working as a school teacher, eventually serving as Providence’s municipal court chief judge from 1985 to 2023.