Judge pays off fine for woman living in car and eating one meal a day
A US judge has proved that help can be found in all kinds of places as he decided to pay off a fine handed to a woman who was experiencing homelessness.
Judge Francesco 'Frank' Caprio regularly shares his cases with viewers on the program Caught in Providence, and last month he was seen calling the defendant, who seemed to be called Medina, to stand.
Medina confirmed to the judge that her car had been booted, meaning she could no longer drive it, and when asked to explain what happened she admitted she was 'going through a lot'.
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The defendant told the judge that she was a victim of stalking, and that she was experiencing homelessness and had turned to her car for shelter. Medina got emotional as she explained that her car has since been taken.
When asked about her job situation, Medina said: "I was jobless for a little while. Now, I am working at restaurants.
"I was just hoping that I could do some kind of payment plan to be able to keep my car. And I don't know, if my license is suspended."
With only $5 (£4) to her name, Medina was eating just one meal a day and Caprio admitted it sounded like she had 'gone through a lot'.
He decided to impose a $400 (£316) fine, but explained that $300 (£237) of the fine would be covered by the Filomena Fund; a fund named after Caprio's mother which receives donations and allows the court to offer help at its discretion.
The judge then gave Medina a month to pay the remaining $100 (£79), but he encouraged her to inform the court if she couldn't meet the deadline and said that if her circumstances didn't improve, he would arrange for the remainder of the fine to be paid.
"When you leave here today, the boot will be taken off your car and you will have your car," Caprio said.
"You know it's very easy to be strict, but I try to take people's personal situations into account."
Before dismissing the defendant, the judge added: "We are also going to arrange $50 (£39) in cash, so you get something to eat."
The defendant was left grinning at the judge's announcement, with Caprio admitting that she now had 'something to smile about'.
The judge has been widely praised for his actions, with many viewers saying we need more people like him in life.
Simon Fearn