EDISTO ISLAND, S.C. — A devastating weekend blaze nearly wiped out the remote oceanfront home of South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein, leaving only charred supports standing.
The fire broke out Saturday in a swampy, hard-to-reach patch of coast known locally for its rough terrain and alligator population.
Three people were hurt in the fire. Among them: Arnold Goodstein — Judge Goodstein’s husband, a Vietnam veteran with multiple Bronze Stars, and a former Democratic state senator. He was airlifted to a Level I Trauma Center.
Some survivors were forced to jump from elevated sections of the house, while others were rescued by kayak through the swampy terrain behind the property.
Goodstein was unharmed — she was out walking her dogs when the fire started.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) have not yet determined whether it was accidental or deliberate. (RELATED: South Carolina Dems Reeling After Gubernatorial Hopeful’s Bizarre Arrest)
The inferno drew added attention because of Goodstein’s recent high-profile rulings from the bench.
Just weeks before the fire, Goodstein made headlines by blocking the state election commission from handing voter data to the Department of Justice. But within days, the South Carolina Supreme Court sided with Gov. Henry McMaster, who had filed an emergency petition to overturn her order. (RELATED: Portland’s Judicial Overreach: Judge Immergut Is Rewriting The Constitution)
Speculation exploded online after word of the fire — stoked by reports that Goodstein had been receiving death threats beforehand.
However, officials have not confirmed arson, nor have they linked the fire to any specific case or ruling.
WSOC-TV has additional details:
The investigation is still active and ongoing and agents will issue a report when they are finished and determine the cause, State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said in a statement.
“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,” Keel said.
Keel and his agents released no other details.
South Carolina’s top judge, Chief Justice John Kittredge confirmed security measures have been heightened for members of the judiciary while the investigation continues.
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Politics should be left to the politicians not the judicial system!