Photo Credit: DDP
A public defender steps in after D4vd’s lawyers bow out. The singer appears to have run out of cash despite making at least $11 million from his record deal with Interscope.
David Burke, the legal name of the disgraced singer D4vd, has encountered a major obstacle in his murder case. His lawyers told the judge they can no longer represent him, and a public defender has stepped in, fueling speculation that the musician has run out of money to fund his defense.
On Monday, attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter told the judge they are unable to continue representing Burke, though they did not provide a reason for the sudden change. However, all signs suggest that Burke no longer has the funds to retain such a high-powered legal team, despite his record deal with Interscope having brought in approximately $11 million.
“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 attorneys told TMZ.
“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.”
The situation raises the question of what happened to Burke’s money, as there were no signs indicating that the 21-year-old had spent a significant amount while living in a rental house. Of course, he could have spent plenty of cash retaining his team of attorneys up to this point, but $11 million seems like a staggering amount to have thrown at the cause.
It’s also not clear whether the change will affect the timeline of the trial. No date has been set.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman must still decide whether the state will pursue the death penalty in the event that Burke is found guilty of the murder of teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Hochman said that while it’s a decision he will personally make, it has not yet been made.
The DA added that he was awaiting a mitigation packet from Burke’s legal team outlining the reasons why their client should not face the death penalty, but he has yet to receive it. Hochman said that he will allow the new public defender time to submit a packet should they choose to do so.
Rivas Hernandez was only 14 when she was allegedly stabbed to death by Burke, who then is thought to have dismembered her body and stuffed it into bags before loading them into the front trunk of his Tesla. The body was “markedly decomposed,” and a preliminary hearing last month revealed graphic photos and even more damning autopsy evidence. Text evidence also indicated that Burke had gotten Celeste pregnant when she was just 13, and an abortion was discussed and allegedly completed during that time.