The celebrity legal team representing musician D4vd has withdrawn from his murder trial. The artist, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, will now be represented by a public defender.
Burke, 21, pleaded not guilty to murder charges in a Los Angeles court on Monday. A judge determined last month that he will stand trial for the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14. Remains belonging to Hernandez were discovered in September 2025 in a Tesla registered to Burke's address. Prosecutors allege that Burke stabbed the teenager after years of sexual abuse and subsequently dismembered her body.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for October 19.
Lawyers Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter stated that the court granted their request to withdraw and appointed the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office to represent Burke. The statement indicated that Burke qualified for appointed counsel and expressed continued support for his defense against the charges.
Berk, who led the defense team, has previously represented high-profile clients including Mel Gibson, Harvey Weinstein, Britney Spears, and Lindsay Lohan.
Deputy public defender Walid Kandeel, who will now represent Burke, stated that the singer is entitled to a defense that seriously considers his circumstances and carefully examines the evidence. "We are committed to providing him with that defense," Kandeel said.