The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating a fire that erupted over the weekend at the Edisto Island home of a circuit court judge and her husband, a former state senator.
Three people were injured in the fire that completely destroyed the home belonging to Judge Diane Goodstein and former Democratic Sen. Arnold Goodstein on Saturday. All three people were taken to the Medical University of South Carolina, two by ambulance and one in an air evacuation, said Capt. KC Campbell, spokesperson for Colleton County Fire-Rescue.
As of Monday, investigators had found no evidence the fire was set intentionally, SLED Chief Mark Keel said in a statement.
Nor was there any indication of an explosion before the fire broke out, Keel said.
Campbell declined to say who was injured because of patient privacy laws or even who was in the house at the time. Information about their condition as of Monday morning was not available. Nor was any information about the cause of the fire.
SLED’s investigation is ongoing, and the state’s law enforcement agency will provide more information as it becomes available, said spokeswoman Renée Wunderlich.
Diane Goodstein, 69, a circuit court judge since 1998, recently signed off on an order temporarily blocking the release of voters’ information to the federal Department of Justice as part of a lawsuit over privacy concerns.
A week later, the state Supreme Court overturned Goodstein’s order, saying she acted too quickly. The case was moved to a different court, since the agency involved is not located in Goodstein’s circuit, which spans Calhoun, Orangeburg and Dorchester counties.
While that decision has gotten a lot of attention in the fire’s wake, there is no known connection. Last week, another circuit court judge denied the voter’s request to temporarily block the data transfer, which the election agency promises will not happen until an agreement on the details is publicly approved.
Keel used his rare, mid-investigation statement to caution against wild speculation.
“I urge our citizens, elected officials, and members of the press to exercise good judgement and not share information that has not been verified,” he concluded, without addressing anything specific.
Legislators last r-elected Goodstein to the bench in 2022.
In its report, the Legislature’s judicial screening panel found that her “many years on the bench and sterling reputation for positive judicial temperament are an asset to the South Carolina judiciary.”
The three-story house’s location on a barrier island complicated firefighting efforts, according to St. Paul’s Fire District, which helps respond to emergencies in small Lowcountry communities.
The water supply near the island is limited, and the area is difficult to maneuver. People inside the house jumped out of windows and into the backyard, where kayakers brought them to the waiting ambulances, according to the department’s Saturday statement.
The Goodsteins bought the house and the surrounding 1.3 acres of marsh for $700,000 in 2019, according to county property records.
John Kittredge, chief justice of the state Supreme Court, was aware of the incident and requested additional security for Goodstein, according to a Saturday statement.
The state’s highest court declined to comment further until the investigation is complete, asking people to respect “the privacy of the Goodstein family during this difficult time,” according to a Monday news release.
Diane and Arnold Goodstein have two adult children, Arnold Goodstein II and Eva Goodstein, according to Diane Goodstein’s judicial biography. Arnold Goodstein, 81, represented Charleston and Georgetown counties in the Senate from 1975 to 1980, following a two-term stint in the House, according to his legislative biography.
Although no information about the cause of the fire has been made publicly available, Ashley Creech, president of the South Carolina Association for Justice, called the idea of a judge facing threats or attacks for ruling a certain way “deeply concerning.”
“As a society and as a state, we must reject hostility and intimidation in all forms,” Creech said.
Judges must be able to make impartial rulings without fear that an unhappy party might attack them or their loved ones, Creech said.
“What matters most right now is that Judge Goodstein is safe and that those injured are receiving the care and support they need,” Creech said.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to specify there is no known connection between Goodstein’s order and the fire.
Skylar Laird covers the South Carolina Legislature and criminal justice issues. Originally from Missouri, she previously worked for The Post and Courier’s Columbia bureau.
SC Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
When Judge Goldstein blocked a federal request for date here.
