A fire destroyed the home of South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein on Saturday, leaving three family members hospitalized.
Goodstein recently ruled against the Trump administration in a high-profile voter registration case. She had reportedly been receiving death threats.
The fire erupted at the judge’s three-story home on Edisto Beach in Colleton County.
Highlights
- Judge Diane Goodstein’s home in South Carolina was destroyed by fire, leaving three family members hospitalized after they escaped by jumping out windows.
- Goodstein had recently ruled against the Trump administration in a voter registration case and had been receiving death threats prior to the fire.
- Authorities say there is no evidence the fire was intentionally set or linked to a pre-fire explosion; the investigation is still ongoing.
A fire broke out in the home of a judge who recently ruled against the Trump administration
Image credits: Today/YouTube
Goodstein, 69, was out walking her dogs when the fire began.
Her husband, Arnold Goodstein, a former state senator and decorated Vietnam War veteran, and their son were among those inside the house.
They sustained injuries after jumping from windows and balconies to escape the flames.
Firefighters and rescuers used kayaks to reach some family members from the backyard, which is near a marsh, St. Paul’s Fire District said in a statement on Facebook.
Image credits: St. Paul's Fire District
One person was airlifted to the Medical University of South Carolina.
An image shared by the fire department shows the waterside home engulfed in flames, and thick smoke rising towards the sky.
Authorities say they have found no evidence that the fire was started intentionally. State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said Monday that the investigation is ongoing.
“At this time, there is no evidence to indicate the fire was intentionally set. Sled agents have preliminarily found there is no evidence to support a pre-fire explosion.”
South Carolina Chief Justice John Kittredge initially described the fire as appearing to be caused by an “explosion,” but officials have not confirmed that claim.
In September, Judge Goodstein blocked the release of voter files to the Department of Justice
Goodstein, a Democrat-appointed judge, has served as a judge since 1989.
In September, she issued a temporary injunction blocking the South Carolina Election Commission from releasing voter files to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The files were requested under an executive order related to voter registration. Her ruling was later overturned by the state Supreme Court.
The judge had since received death threats, local news outlet FITSNews reported.
The fire comes amid heightened concern over political violence in the U.S., especially after the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot in June, and in April, there was an arson attack on the home of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
In May, more than 150 federal and state judges sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, warning about “a pattern of retaliatory attacks aimed at intimidating the judiciary.”
Daniel Goldman, a Democratic congressman and lawyer who was the lead counsel in U.S. President Donald Trump’s first impeachment, tagged White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on X with footage of the fire, asking for accountability.
Some 150 judges sent a letter warning about retaliatory attacks on the judiciary in May
“Stephen Miller and MAGA-world have been doxxing and threatening judges who rule against Trump, including Judge Goodstein,” Goldman wrote on X.
“Today, someone committed arson on the Judge’s home, severely injuring her husband and son. Will Trump speak out against the extreme right that did this??”
Miller responded, calling Goldman “deeply warped and vile.”
“There is a large and growing movement of leftwing terrorism in this country,” Miller said. “It is well organized and funded. And it is shielded by far-left Democrat judges, prosecutors and attorneys general. The only remedy is to use legitimate state power to dismantle terrorism and terror networks.”
Image credits: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Miller continued, “While the Trump Administration has launched the first-ever government-wide effort to combat and prosecute illegal doxing, sinister threats and political violence you continue to push despicable lies, demented smears, malicious defamation and foment unrest.”
Goldman pushed back, asking Miller, “If you are trying to combat political violence, why don’t you condemn the political violence against a judge who ruled against you and your admin? It’s pretty simple: do you condemn all political violence or only that against your supporters?”
The South Carolina Supreme Court asked people to respect the privacy of the Goodstein family on Monday.
It said the court would not issue any comment “until law enforcement concludes its investigation.”