Judge Diane Goodstein of the South Carolina circuit court and her family literally experienced baptism of fire when her residence went up in flames on Saturday October 4, 2025.
The incident is attracting wide attention because the judge recently ruled against President Donald Trump and subsequently received a barrage of hateful messages, including death threats.
The judge was not in her Edisto Beach house when it caught fire. She was out walking her dogs, according to the Courier.
Her husband, Arnold Goodstein, a decorated Vietnam War veteran was in the house with other members of the family. They sustained serious injuries after jumping from windows and balconies to avoid the blaze.
In all, three people were taken to the hospital in connection with the incident, according to Colleton County Fire Rescue Capt. K.C. Campbell.
South Carolina Chief Justice John Kittredge initially said the fire appeared to have been caused by “an explosion,” but this claim has not been corroborated.
It remains to be seen if the fire was accidental or an arson. Authorities are, however, appealing to the public to be careful about drawing conclusions ahead of the ongoing investigation.
The State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel has alerted local law enforcement to provide extra patrols and security pending the determination of the case.
Keel on Monday afternoon, October 6, said SLED agents had yet to uncover evidence that the fire was started intentionally or caused by an explosion.
He assured that his team would continue to investigate the circumstances of the incident until they establish what really happened.
The SLED boss promised to share more information when their work is finished.
Multiple sources told news outlet FITSNews that Goodstein, 69, had received de@th threats in recent weeks.
The judge had last month ruled to temporarily block the South Carolina election commission from releasing voter files to the Department of Justice as part of Trump’s March executive order aimed at preventing non-citizens from registering to vote, something that is already illegal.
Judge Diane Goodstein reasoned that turning over the data to the Trump administration could cause “immediate and irreparable damage” to voters’ right to privacy.
Her verdict was however overturned by South Carolina’s state Supreme Court. It was also publicly criticized by the state’s Republican Gov. Henry McMaster and DOJ official Harmeet Dhillon.
It would be recalled that on Sept. 10 conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was shot dead, raising political tension in America.
Similarly, the murders of Democratic Minnesota House Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the arson attack on the home of Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro contributed to the atmosphere of anxiety and fear in American politics.
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