Judge dismisses stop‑sign citation for caregiver who described immigrant hardship
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Summary
Karma Cooper, who told the court she works third shift caring for disabled people and emigrated from Liberia, admitted going through a stop sign but said she did not know it was a stop sign; Judge Frank Caprio dismissed the citation after considering her circumstances.
Karma Cooper appeared in the Municipal Court of Providence on a citation for failing to stop at an intersection. Cooper told the court she works third shift caring for disabled people and that she "didn't know it was a stop sign." After a conversation in which Cooper described hardships from her upbringing in Liberia and her family responsibilities, Judge Frank Caprio dismissed the case.
Cooper told the court she has worked at her job for 18 years and cares for elderly and disabled clients. During her remarks she compared life in the United States with life in Liberia, saying conditions there had been difficult and that the experience had made her resilient. The judge engaged with Cooper about those circumstances and expressed empathy for her situation.
After hearing Cooper acknowledge she "went through the stop sign," Judge Caprio said he was inclined to dismiss the matter and then formally dismissed the citation, thanking her and wishing her well. The transcript records no court‑ordered penalties or conditions after the dismissal.