D4vd’s preliminary hearing began on Tuesday, 21 July 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, where a judge will decide whether the murder case against the singer, charged over the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, proceeds to trial.
The singer, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, 21, was charged on Monday, 20 April 2026 with first-degree murder in the death of the 14-year-old, as reported by ABC7, along with single counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
What the D4vd preliminary hearing will decide
The hearing, before Judge Charlaine Olmedo, opened on Tuesday and is expected to run about five days.
At a preliminary hearing, a judge weighs the prosecution’s evidence and decides whether it is sufficient for the case to proceed to trial, rather than determining guilt or innocence.
The proceeding had been rescheduled several times before Tuesday’s start.
Burke has pleaded not guilty through his attorneys and remains in custody without bail. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty against him.
The charges behind the D4vd preliminary hearing
The remains of Celeste Rivas Hernandez were found on Monday, 8 September 2025 in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke, which had been impounded at a Hollywood tow yard.
The murder charge carries special-circumstance allegations that could increase any sentence on conviction.
The special-circumstance allegations are lying in wait, murder for financial gain and the killing of a witness in a criminal investigation.
Prosecutors have framed the financial-gain allegation around Burke’s music career and what they say he stood to lose.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman set out the prosecution’s position on that allegation.
“the financial gain was for Mr. Burke to maintain a lucrative musical career that Celeste was threatening that night.”
Burke’s legal team has rejected the prosecution’s account and disputed the basis on which he is being held.
His attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter said in a statement:
“The actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez, and he was not the cause of her death. There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
A request to remove restraints at the hearing
Ahead of the hearing, Berk filed a motion asking the court to have Burke’s handcuffs and other restraints removed while it is under way.
The motion argues that he has never attempted to escape or behaved disruptively, and that his five court appearances to date have all passed without incident.
The hearing is scheduled to continue over roughly five days, after which Olmedo will rule on whether the evidence justifies sending the case to trial. Should she find sufficient grounds, Burke would be arraigned again and a trial date set; if not, the charges could be reduced or dismissed.
