South Carolina Judge Diane Goodstein’s $1.5 million Edisto Beach home was destroyed by fire just weeks after she ruled against Donald Trump’s Department of Justice. St. Paul’s Fire District said: “The first arriving crews worked flawlessly together to ensure the safety of the occupants which escaped via jumping from an elevated first floor.” Three people, including her husband and former state senator Arnold Goodstein, were hospitalized after being rescued by kayak due to the property’s remote location.
Chief Justice John Kittredge confirmed “the family had to escape by jumping from a window or balcony” and that there were injuries from the fall. He described the blaze as an “apparent explosion,” though investigators haven’t determined if it was accidental or arson.
Weeks earlier, Judge Goodstein had issued a restraining order blocking the Trump administration’s request for South Carolina’s 3.3 million voter records, saying it could cause “immediate and irreparable damage” by violating privacy rights.
A judge close to her said she’s “had multiple death threats over the years.” The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) confirmed the “investigation is active and ongoing.”
Officials continue to probe the cause of the fire as the community reels from the shocking incident.