A luxurious $1.5 million beach house belonging to South Carolina Judge Diane Goodstein was completely destroyed in a fire, only weeks after she made a high-profile ruling against former President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.
Firefighters from St. Paul’s Fire District rushed to the scene at Edisto Beach on the afternoon of Saturday, October 4, after receiving reports that the judge’s property was engulfed in flames.
In a statement shared on Facebook, the department said: “The first arriving crews worked flawlessly together to ensure the safety of the occupants which escaped via jumping from an elevated first floor.”
“Due to the remoteness and layout of the lot, the occupants had to be rescued from the backyard via kayaks and brought to Colleton County EMS where they received medical aid.”
According to officials, three people were hospitalized, including the judge’s husband, Arnold “Arnie” Goodstein, who previously served as a Democratic state senator. Thankfully, all of them were pulled from the home and transported for medical care.
Authorities confirmed that Judge Goodstein herself had been on the nearby beach when the fire erupted, narrowly avoiding harm.
South Carolina Chief Justice John Kittredge told FITSNews that Arnie Goodstein had been inside the house with children and possibly grandchildren at the time of the incident. He added: “The family had to escape by jumping from a window or balcony. I’m told there were injuries from the fall, such as broken legs.”
Officials have launched a full investigation to determine what caused the blaze. Kittredge noted that the explosion that preceded the fire appeared “suspicious,” though no conclusions have been made yet.
He continued: “At this time, we do not know whether the fire was accidental or arson.”
The tragic fire came just weeks after Circuit Court Judge Goodstein issued a key ruling against the Trump administration’s Department of Justice. The case involved a request from federal officials demanding that South Carolina’s election office release the personal information of more than 3.3 million registered voters.
The data sought by the Department of Justice included voters’ names, home addresses, birthdates, driver’s license numbers, and the last four digits of their Social Security numbers.
Judge Goodstein’s ruling blocked the data handover, creating tension between state and federal authorities.
According to The New York Times, the Justice Department had planned to compare South Carolina’s voter data with a Department of Homeland Security database tracking noncitizens, as part of an effort to identify potential ineligible voters.
NEW: Police have launched an investigation after SC Judge Diane Goodstein’s Edisto Beach home burned to the ground after an ‘apparent explosion.’
Goodstein’s husband, former State Senator Arnold Goodstein, was rushed to the hospital along with other family members.
“Judge… pic.twitter.com/Yu87G3l7ne
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 5, 2025
However, a South Carolina voter named Anne Crook filed a lawsuit to prevent the release of the sensitive data, arguing it would put millions of residents at risk of identity theft and privacy violations.
On September 2, Judge Goodstein sided with Crook and granted a temporary restraining order that halted the voter data transfer until further review.
In her official decision, Judge Goodstein wrote that allowing the release of personal voter information could cause “immediate and irreparable damage” to Crook by infringing on her constitutional right to privacy, as detailed in court records obtained by WRDW.
A fellow judge who spoke anonymously to FITSNews said that Goodstein has faced multiple death threats throughout her career because of controversial rulings, raising concerns about her safety.
The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has taken over the investigation into the blaze and is working to determine whether foul play was involved.
“The investigation is active and ongoing. More information may be available as the investigation continues,” agency spokesperson Renée Wunderlich told FITSNews, noting that investigators are collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses as part of their ongoing inquiry.
