Just over a month after she delivered a pivotal court ruling in a politically charged case involving voter data privacy, South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein’s life was upended by a harrowing and still-unexplained event: a fire that engulfed and destroyed her family’s marshfront home in Edisto Beach.

The morning of Saturday, October 4, 2025, began like many others for Judge Goodstein. She was walking her dogs along the quiet shoreline near her home, situated in the gated, tree-lined Jeremy Cay Community on Edisto Island, when a massive fire broke out in her three-story residence at 18 Planters Retreat.

Within minutes, what began as a peaceful day turned into a scene of panic, fear, and destruction. A Peaceful Morning Turns Into a Nightmare. The fire reportedly began shortly before 11:30 a.m., and it escalated rapidly. Thick black smoke could be seen billowing above the island, and neighbors quickly realized…