D4VD’S LEGAL BATTLE TAKES A DRAMATIC TURN — PRIVATE LAWYERS WALK AWAY AS CELESTE RIVAS HERNANDEZ CASE MOVES CLOSER TO TRIAL

The high-profile case surrounding 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez has taken another dramatic turn after musician David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, appeared in court and entered a new not-guilty plea — this time with a court-appointed public defender standing beside him.

Burke’s longtime private defense team, led by prominent attorney Blair Berk, was allowed to withdraw from the case during a hearing on Aug. 31, 2026. The attorneys said the court determined that Burke qualified for appointed counsel. They did not publicly explain the circumstances behind their departure beyond that statement.

The development immediately raised questions because Burke built a highly successful music career before his arrest. Reuters reported that the musician faces charges including first-degree murder, unlawful mutilation of human remains and continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14.

His new attorney is Los Angeles County Deputy Public Defender Walid Kandeel.

Burke has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody.

A CASE THAT HAS ALREADY SHOCKED LOS ANGELES

Celeste Rivas Hernandez was 14 when she disappeared in April 2025.

Months later, her remains were discovered inside the front trunk of a Tesla associated with Burke. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that Celeste died from multiple penetrating injuries and classified the manner of death as homicide.

Prosecutors allege that Burke was involved in a sexual relationship with Celeste and that he killed her after she threatened to expose their relationship.

During a five-day preliminary hearing in July, prosecutors presented text messages between the two and other evidence as they laid out their theory of what happened.

A judge ultimately ruled there was sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial on charges including murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.

That ruling did not determine Burke’s guilt. He remains legally presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

THE FINANCIAL QUESTION

The sudden change in legal representation has created another major storyline.

According to recent reporting, Burke’s former attorneys said he qualified for a court-appointed lawyer after an evaluation of his financial circumstances. Yet the decision has drawn scrutiny because of his earnings and commercial success during his rise to fame.

An attorney representing Celeste’s family has publicly questioned Burke’s claim that he cannot afford his previous legal team.

The family’s attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, argued that Burke’s music career and business interests raise questions about the financial circumstances presented to the court. Those statements represent the family’s position, not a judicial finding that Burke is financially ineligible for a public defender.

The dispute could become another point of attention as the case moves forward.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The prosecution has already cleared a major procedural hurdle: a judge found probable cause for the case to proceed toward trial.

Prosecutors have also indicated that Burke could potentially face the death penalty, although a final decision on whether to seek it has not been made.

The next major court appearance is scheduled for October, with the case expected to continue through the pretrial process.

For Celeste’s family, however, the legal battle is about far more than courtroom strategy.

It is about a teenage girl whose disappearance became one of the most closely watched cases in Los Angeles — and a family still waiting for answers.

Now, with D4vd’s high-profile defense team gone, a new lawyer in place and the case moving toward trial, another chapter has begun.

And the questions surrounding what happened to Celeste Rivas Hernandez remain at the center of the courtroom.