The authorities in South Carolina said on Monday that they were investigating a fire at a resort island over the weekend that burned a home owned by a state judge and her husband, a former state senator, injuring at least three people.
The home is owned by Diane Goodstein, a circuit court judge, and her husband, Arnold Goodstein, according to Colleton County assessor records.
Mr. Goodstein bought the house in 2019, and in 2023, he transferred the deed to himself and his wife. Mr. Goodstein, a Democrat, was twice awarded a Bronze Star for his service during the Vietnam War.
In a ruling last month, Judge Goodstein temporarily blocked South Carolina from giving the U.S. Department of Justice its entire state voter database.
A voter had sued the state, arguing that releasing such sensitive personal information would violate state law and her constitutional rights. The South Carolina Supreme Court reversed Judge Goodstein’s order.
The cause of the fire is unknown. The State Law Enforcement Division said that it was investigating.
A fire station serving Edisto Island, the St. Paul’s Fire District, said on social media that its members responded to a fire on Saturday at the home, which overlooks a marsh, near a causeway connecting Edisto Beach to Edisto Island.
The island is off South Carolina’s coast and near Charleston and Hilton Head Island.
The occupants escaped by jumping from an “elevated first floor” and had to be rescued from the backyard in kayaks, the district said.
SOURCE: NEW YORK TIMES
