D4vd has replaced the three prominent private attorneys who had been defending him as his murder case moves toward trial, with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office now taking over his representation.
The 21-year-old singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, Aug. 31. Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter were permitted to withdraw, while Deputy Public Defender Walid Kandeel stepped in to represent Burke.
Burke then entered not guilty pleas to three charges stemming from the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez: murder with special-circumstance allegations, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. The hearing followed a July preliminary proceeding in which Judge Charlaine Olmedo found sufficient evidence for the case to proceed toward trial.
The next status conference is set for Oct. 19, and no trial date has been scheduled. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman also said prosecutors still have not decided whether to seek the death penalty.
Burke Requested New Representation Before the Arraignment
Berk told the court that Burke wanted new representation, and his former attorneys later said the judge granted their request to withdraw after Burke was determined to qualify for appointed counsel, according to Reuters.
Kandeel asked for additional time before the post-preliminary arraignment so he could review the case, but Olmedo denied that request and required the plea to proceed. A second arraignment after a defendant has been ordered to stand trial is a normal step in the California criminal process.
The Public Defender’s Office said it had completed a financial review and determined Burke was eligible for its services, but it did not disclose his financial information. “David Burke is entitled to a defense that takes his circumstances seriously and carefully examines the evidence,” Kandeel said in a statement reported by ABC News.
Burke’s former attorneys said they continued to support his defense and expressed confidence in the public defender’s team. None of the departing lawyers publicly explained why Burke requested the change.
Prosecutors Still Have Not Decided Whether to Seek the Death Penalty
The first-degree murder charge includes special-circumstance allegations that prosecutors say make Burke eligible for either life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if he is convicted as charged. The criminal complaint alleges murder for financial gain, killing a witness to a crime and lying in wait.
Hochman said after Monday’s hearing that his office had not received a mitigation packet from Burke’s former lawyers before they withdrew. Such a submission can provide information the district attorney considers when deciding whether to pursue capital punishment.
Hochman said the new defense team would receive additional time if it chooses to submit one. “That decision has not been made today,” he said of whether his office will seek the death penalty, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.
He also said the change in lawyers would not alter the prosecution’s position on the charges, although a new defense team could need more time to review the record before declaring itself ready for trial.
The July Hearing Established Probable Cause, Not Guilt
Olmedo ordered Burke to stand trial on July 27 following a five-day preliminary hearing. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said prosecutors called 12 witnesses during the proceeding.
Prosecutors allege Burke killed Rivas Hernandez at his rented Hollywood Hills home in April 2025 after she threatened to expose what they describe as an unlawful sexual relationship and damage his music career. Her decomposed and dismembered remains were discovered months later in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke.
During the preliminary hearing, prosecutors presented messages, photographs, purchase records and forensic evidence. They said DNA recovered from Burke’s garage matched Rivas Hernandez’s genetic profile and introduced evidence concerning tools and other items they allege he purchased under a fictitious name after her death.
Burke’s former attorneys disputed whether prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence of murder. The Los Angeles Times reported that investigators had not recovered the tools allegedly used in the dismemberment and that no eyewitness testified to seeing the killing. He remains held without bail, and the parties are due back in court Oct. 19 to address the status of the case and the defense’s readiness to proceed toward trial.