D4vd dumps private counsel for public defenders ahead of LA murder trial

D4vd, real name David Burke, abruptly switches from private defense to public defenders during a Los Angeles pre-trial in the murder case of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez; Judge Charlaine Olmedo denied a request to delay the arraignment and entered not guilty pleas on Burke’s behalf as his new attorney, Walid Fouad Kandeel, begins review of the case, with an Oct. 19 hearing scheduled. Remains of the victim were found in the trunk of a Tesla, and text messages reference a teenage pregnancy and abortion, against a backdrop of Burke apologizing in a 2024 exchange.