Judge lets woman's young daughter decide punishment in her case as she gets emotional in court
Kids say the darndest things, right?
They love to 'accidentally' get their moms and dads in trouble, and this adorable six-year-old certainly wasn't helping her mother's situation.
Sofia's mom was previously facing Judge Frank Caprio, the chief judge of the municipal court of Providence, Rhode Island, for a ticket - however, the type of ticket wasn't disclosed.
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The mother was facing a $85 fine, when Judge Caprio brought up her young daughter Sofia to help him decide her punishment.
"Your mother has a ticket that's $85," he explained to the youngster in an exchange that was filmed for reality TV show, Caught in Providence, in 2019.
"Now, you're going to be honest, okay? I can charge her $85, or I can charge her something less. So, should I give her a break and not charge her $85?"
While Sofia agrees that her mom deserves a break, she then suggests that she's fined $100 instead.
Trying to talk her out of such a high figure, the judge suggested that he charge the mom $50 or nothing.
But the six-year-old felt $50 was the appropriate amount, to which her mom laughs and face palmed.
"Would it be okay with you if I charge her nothing?" Judge Caprio goes on to ask Sofia, but she still says 'no'.
Eventually her mom is able to plead her case to the youngster and promises her a new toy of some sort in favor of her not voting to have her charged.
Sofia still wasn't buying it, however.
Eventually Judge Caprio thanks her for her help and sends her back to her mom.
After all the back-and-forth with Sofia, he decided to dismiss the case.
People have since applauded the six-year-old for standing her ground.
"She don’t accept bribe and she knows she’s doing the right thing," one person praised on social media.
"I already have a big respect for that kid. Integrity," added a second.
While someone else quipped: "She an incorruptible judge."
"This kid has a future in the justice system," another person penned.
Elsewhere, Judge Caprio was also hailed for his kindness.
"I haven’t seen any other judges with this kind of compassion," said one X user.
"I have never met a judge as good as him, he is amazing," echoed another.
A third person went on: "We need more judges like him."
Caught in Providence was first aired in 2000 by ABC station WLNE-TV.
After a hiatus, the show returned in 2015 before going into national syndication.
Following it's ongoing popularity, Judge Caprio has gone to be become a well-loved TV favorite.
The newest season of the programme aired in 2019.
Topics: Parenting, Court, Viral, Film and TV
Niamh Shackleton