D4vd Forced To Use Public Defender In Murder Case As Lawyers Withdraw

BY Alexander Cole
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Court Arraignment Of Singer D4vd Charged With Capital Murder
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 20: d4vd looks on during his arraignment for the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on April 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Nathan J. Hochman, Los Angeles County District Attorney, announced earlier in the day that David Anthony Burke, known as d4vd, was charged with the first-degree murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found decomposed in his car. (Photo by Ted Soqui - Pool/Getty Images)
D4vd was back in court today ahead of his murder trial for the death of Celeste Rivas, and he got some bad news about his legal team.

D4vd was in court this morning for a preliminary hearing as the singer faces a murder trial for the alleged killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. However, as TMZ reports, things did not go his way.

Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter have officially withdrawn as D4vd's attorneys. They subsequently issued a statement, which was obtained by TMZ. It was here that they revealed the court has already granted their request to withdraw. They also wished D4vd well.

"This morning the court granted our request to withdraw as counsel and appointed the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office, after it was determined David qualified for appointed counsel," the statement reads. "We continue to support David and his defense against these serious charges. We are grateful that the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office has taken over the representation and that David has a highly capable and committed team of attorneys and investigators behind him."

D4vd Loses His Attorneys

Watch full video on TMZ

In the aftermath of this move, D4vd has been appointed a public defender by the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office. As TMZ reports, D4vd is indigent, which means he lacks the funds to retain his own counsel. Instead, he has no choice but to use a lawyer appointed by the state.

D4vd has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. His next hearing will be taking place on October 19, which means he has a month and a half in jail before he is back in the courtroom.

An official date for D4vd's trial has not been revealed, and at this time, it is unclear if the change in lawyers will affect that.

About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!

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