1 month ago
Seeking a speedy trial, D4vd entered a not blameworthy plea coming successful a little quality successful criminal tribunal successful downtown LA.
Facing first-degree execution and continuous intersexual maltreatment charges pinch nan decease penalty complete nan dismembered sidesplitting past twelvemonth of teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez, nan 21-year-old vocalist (whose existent sanction is David Anthony Burke) sat down a solid obstruction Monday day successful LA Superior Court Judge Theresa McGonigle’s courtroom.
“We judge nan existent grounds will show David Burke did not execution Celeste Rivas Hernandez,” defense lawyer Blair Berk told nan judge and attendees Monday aft entering pleas for her client. “We would for illustration to person nan grounds travel into nan ray of day,” Berk added, requesting a accelerated tracked preliminary evidentiary proceeding ASAP.
In response, Deputy DA Beth Silverman said that her leader Nathan Hochman and nan prosecution agency would beryllium “very happy to put connected nan grounds we’ve collected against Burke. A general felony title (read it here) against D4vd was revenge astatine nan aforesaid clip successful LASC.
Hernandez’s parents were seated adjacent successful nan the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center during nan arraignment proceedings Monday.
Earlier successful nan time astatine a property convention connected nan case, LA County DA Hochman stated nan Romantic Homicide vocalist could beryllium executed if recovered blameworthy by a assemblage owed to “special circumstances” that licence nan uncommon usage of nan decease punishment successful California.
Part of that typical circumstance, according to nan DA, is owed to D4vd past April “lying successful wait, execution for financial summation and sidesplitting a witnesser successful a criminal investigation.” That witnesser being nan past 13-year-old Hernandez herself for activity crimes against her by nan TikTok sensation. Hernandez was past seen past April 23, conscionable earlier she went complete to D4vd’s LA home.
Additionally D4vd is facing charges of “lewd and lascivious intersexual acts” pinch an individual nether 14 years of age. Similar to nan alleged execution of Rob and Michelle Reiner precocious past twelvemonth by their youngest boy Nick, nan DA has not made nationalist yet if prosecutors will seeking nan decease punishment aliases spell for life without parole for D4vd.
After months and months of investigation, D4vd was arrested connected April 16 this twelvemonth astatine his rented Hollywood Hills residence. The apprehension came almost 8 months aft Hernnadez’s decomposed and mutilated assemblage was discovered successful nan trunk of an impounded Tesla registered successful nan singer’ name. At nan time, past September, D4vd was connected circuit and retired of LA. Through representatives, he promised to cooperate pinch nan LAPD and different rule enforcement connected nan matter.
Now down bars without bail, D4vd is scheduled to beryllium backmost successful tribunal connected April 23.
Also successful tribunal today, Judge McGonigle ordered nan LA County aesculapian examiner’s agency to merchandise nan autopsy study for Hernandez.
That study is not disposable arsenic of correct now because, “the Department of Medical Examiner has not yet received announcement nan tribunal bid sealing nan lawsuit has been lifted,” they told Deadline Monday.
That paperwork is expected to get successful 1 shape aliases different astatine nan aesculapian examiner’s agency by Tuesday morning, I’m told — which intends nan autopsy study of nan
Denise Petski contributed to this report
