South Carolina judge’s house destroyed by fire; officials investigating cause
Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on October 6, 2025
(EDISTO ISLAND, S.C.) — A South Carolina judge’s house went up in flames Sunday, hospitalizing three and destroying the home.
Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein was walking her dogs on the beach in Edisto Island, S.C., about an hour south of Charleston, when the fire began, according to officials. Her husband, former state Sen. Arnold Goodstein, their son, Arnold Goodstein III, and one other occupant were forced to jump from the burning building from an elevated first floor to escape the blaze, officials said.
The three occupants were rescued by kayak from the home’s backyard due to the area’s marshy terrain, Colleton County Fire-Rescue told ABC News. One occupant was airlifted to Medical University of South Carolina hospital in Charleston and the other two were taken there via ground transportation, according to Colleton County Fire-Rescue.
The current condition of the victims is not known.
The South Carolina Supreme Court said in a statement that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) responded to the scene and is investigating the cause of the fire. “Local law enforcement partners have been alerted and asked to provide extra patrols and security. The Judicial Branch will remain in close communication with SLED,” the statement added.
“SLED’s investigation is active and ongoing,” the agency told ABC News.
Last month, Goodstein blocked the South Carolina Election Commission from providing the Department of Justice with millions of voter files that included personal names, addresses, driver’s license numbers and social security numbers, according to court documents.
President Trump issued an executive order in March prohibiting non-citizens from registering to vote, leading the DOJ to request the information of more than 3.3 million registered voters in South Carolina. Goodstein’s decision, however, was reversed a few days later by the State Supreme Court, according to court documents.
Goodstein was first elected to her Circuit Court judgeship in 1998, according to the South Carolina Judicial Branch.
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