Welp, D4vd’s legal team just hit the exit and left him holding the bag. What was supposed to be a routine second arraignment in a downtown L.A. courtroom Monday turned into a major plot twist: the 21-year-old singer’s high-powered lawyers dropped him cold.
Attorney Blair Berk, who’s repped Burke since this whole nightmare went public, told the judge her team wanted off the case. When the judge turned to Burke and asked if that was really what he wanted, he gave a simple “Yes.” And just like that, one of L.A.’s most recognizable defense attorneys was out, and a public defender, Walid Kandeel, was standing in her place.
Despite the shake up, Burke stood firm on his plea: not guilty. He’s facing first-degree murder with special circumstances, sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. All charges tied to the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Her partial remains were found inside a Tesla connected to Burke back in September 2025, and prosecutors say she’d been missing since April 2024.
The DA’s office isn’t playing around either. LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has made it clear that because of the special circumstances alleged, including killing a witness in a criminal investigation and murder for financial gain, Burke could be facing the death penalty if a jury convicts him. That’s as serious as the justice system gets.
A judge already ordered Burke to stand trial after a brutal five-day preliminary hearing back in July, where prosecutors laid out disturbing evidence: photos, forensic details, and text messages allegedly from the night investigators believe Celeste was killed. It was a hearing that reportedly left people in the courtroom shaken.
The next stop in this is a status conference set for October 19th, with a trial expected to follow within 90 days after that. Until then, the internet’s going to keep dissecting every headline, every hearing, and every move from a case that’s pulled back the curtain on the dark side of internet fame.
This one’s far from over. Stay tuned.