Homeless single mom was relieved when Judge Caprio dismissed her charges—then his unexpected gift left her bawling
Some understanding and kindness might make a big difference in a person's life. So when a homeless single mom arrived at Judge Frank Caprio's court with parking tickets, the man decided to listen to her story and dismissed her charges. Not just that, Caprio also decided to do something more for the mom, Tisha Miller, which left her in tears during the hearing, per a video from Caught in Providence. The judge was known for his empathy and compassion in the courtroom. He passed away at the age of 88 on August 20, 2025, due to pancreatic cancer, per a statement issued by his family on his Instagram, @therealfrankcaprio.
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Miller arrived at the court with her little daughter, Jemiah and social worker, Megan Smith, from an organization, The House of Hope, that was helping her get her life back together. The woman's lawyer explained that Smith had been working with the mom as she had experienced homelessness "for an extended period of time." He pointed out that it was the reason behind the parking tickets that had culminated in the boot and were being presented before the court. "When one is living in a motor vehicle, it is really not possible to park in a lawful fashion," the man remarked. "You can't get a permit because you don't have a residency here in Providence."
Miller had recently secured housing with the help of Smith at that time in November 2020. "Something that she is very, obviously happy about, proud of. She's trying to get back on her feet, but the boot on the car is a very serious problem," the lawyer went on. "So we are seeing if the court may be of some assistance in terms of helping her get the boot removed so that she can continue moving forward with her life and taking care of her young daughter." Miller revealed that she had three grown children and one young daughter she had at 41. The mom had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia as well. The House of Hope was helping her get social security. Miller had been turned down for help many times before she found the organization.
"I was literally living in my car with my daughter and it was tough. And I just happened to see Megan and her co-workers in the parking lot helping other people," Miller revealed. She went up to her and asked if she could help her as well. Her life had changed a lot after that. The judge remarked that he was going to dismiss the charges. The mom was already crying when he added, "Actually, I am going to do a little bit more than that." Caprio shared that people from all over the country sent him contributions so he could help people. He raised money under Filomena Funds, named after his mother, to help those in need. The man gave her $50 from the fund and the gesture left the woman in tears.
"Your Honor, you know I don't have a dollar to my name? I really thank you for that, I really do," Miller said with tears in her eyes. "You don't understand." She expressed that she woke up that morning and realized that she needed to buy some milk and needed a little bit of everything. But she told herself not to worry about that and go to court. "Thank you with everything in me. I appreciate you. I really appreciate that, god bless you." The woman was so happy that so many people had done nice things for her lately. "I never had people do nice things for me. To some people, that might seem like something small, but to me, I just feel blessed." Her daughter asked the judge if she could give him a hug and then went up to do just that.
People appreciated the judge in the comments. Jessica Rich wrote, "We need more people in the world like these people! This judge is absolutely beautiful inside & out. His mom would be so proud." Andi Charkow commented, "Tears are running down my face. Years ago, I was in a tough situation; the kindness the judge showed was beautiful." Joahnna Dione remarked, "I truly admire Judge Caprio and am grateful for him... you've helped so many people."