US celebrity judge and social media star Frank Caprio has died aged 88, his family has said.

Over a 40-year career in Rhode Island, he famously used compassion and humour to make judgements that took into consideration the personal circumstances of the people in the dock.

Videos of Judge Caprio presiding over cases on his hit TV show Caught in Providence have had billions of views on social media, earning him the title the "nicest judge in the world".