Diane Goodstein

Diane Goodstein (born 1955) is a judge at the South Carolina Circuit Court. She is married to fellow lawyer Arnold Goodstein who is a veteran and served in the state legislature. He is a Democrat.

The Trump administration had been publicly critical of Judge Goodstein who in September 2025 temporarily blocked South Carolina's election commission from releasing its voter files to the Department of Justice for its election integrity investigations. She was later unanimously overruled by the South Carolina Supreme Court as the justices determined her order was "clearly erroneous".

She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1978 and her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1981.

Career Goodstein began her legal career by working as an associate at the firm of Goodstein, Bowling, Douglas & Phillips from 1981 to 1983 before becoming Vice President in the Goodstein & Goodstein law firm, where she served from 1983 to 1998. She also served as Dorchester County Attorney and General Counsel for the Charleston County Aviation Authority from 1986 to 1988. In a significant career milestone, Goodstein was elected by the South Carolina General Assembly as a Resident Circuit Judge in May 1998.

Personal life Judge Goodstein is married to former Democratic Party state senator Arnold Goodstein. The couple has a son. Arnold Goodstein was twice awarded a Bronze Star for his service during the Vietnam War.

House fire On October 5, 2025, her husband, son, and another family member were injured in a fire at her Edisto Island home. She was not injured. The fire is being investigated by state law enforcement amidst speculation, without evidence but based on the family having been subject to death threats, most recently after a September 2025 ruling she issued for a temporary injunction against the Trump administration, that it was arson – however the preliminary analysis indicated a domestic accident as the cause.