Blair Berk and Marilyn Bednarski represented some of the most high-profile defendants in entertainment law. They took D4vd's murder case. Then they quit.
The withdrawal came weeks before the family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court naming not just David Anthony Burke, but his mother Colleen Burke, his managers, his recording company, and his publishing company. The complaint alleges a system of enablement: company funds allegedly used to pay for housing and security, a bodyguard who allegedly transported a minor, and managers who the family says knew what was happening.
Burke was determined to qualify for a public defender. Walid Kandeel of the LA County Public Defender's Office now represents him. Burke pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, continuous illegal conduct involving a person under 14, and mutilation of remains. The DA's office says the death penalty remains on the table.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez's remains were found in the trunk of Burke's Tesla at a Hollywood impound lot in September 2025. She was 14. Prosecutors allege she was killed after she threatened to come forward about the relationship. Text messages presented at the preliminary hearing allegedly showed she had become pregnant and undergone a procedure.
Former FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke examines what it signals when elite defense attorneys walk away from a paying client, the psychology of an inner circle under legal pressure, and what the civil discovery process could force into the open.
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