D4vd Hearing Marked By Lottery Draws, Courtroom Drama & Disputes

The preliminary hearing for D4vd, AKA David Anthony Burke, R&B singer, continued this week, and some of what unfolded inside the courtroom seemed distinctly unusual. Brian Entin and Lauren Conlin described a tense energy on Friday’s episode of the Brian Entin Investigates podcast.

Evidence and Courtroom Drama

D4vd is the stage name for the singer who faces charges involving the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

Alongside graphic forensic testimony, procedural disputes and courtroom rules repeatedly threatened to overshadow the seriousness of the case.

Entin and Conlin talked about the uncomfortable atmosphere, when Conlin joined Entin in his car outside the court to lay out what happened.

The Entry System

Access felt like a bizarre carnival right from the start. Court staff picked entry passes out of a metal raffle drum. Entin explained that to get inside, “you go you get there early 7:30 a.m. you get your ticket… and then at 8:30 they put all the tickets into like a metal drum… like literally with the lottery.”

Entin called it an “odd thing” as court workers pulled numbers for the ten available public seats. He noted that “they read the numbers almost like a game of bingo” and pectators appeared excited and cheered when they realised they had been selected.

Entin added that it felt like a “game show” environment, calling it “a strange way to start the day every day waiting to get these tickets” for a hearing about a “brutal murder.”

Conlin agreed, asking “how gross is that?”

Arguments Over Witnesses and Badges

Then things got complicated with the legal teams. Prosecutor Beth Silverman pushed to kick private investigator Steve Fischer out. She said he was a “grand jury” witness and could end up being called to testify in the murder trial. According to court rules, potential witnesses can’t sit in to hear other testimony.

That move started an argument with Patrick Steinfeld, the civil lawyer for the victim’s parents. Steinfeld said he didn’t know Fischer was a potential witness when he talked to him in the lobby.

TMZ reported that “Silverman accused Steinfeld of improperly communicating with Fischer.” During the dispute, Silverman told Steinfeld to “push me, you’ll see how far that goes.”

Conlin recalled hearing Silverman tell Steinfeld “I will take your badge away” if he kept it up.

Scolded over Laptops and Secret Leaks

Steinfeld got into hot water with the judge too. LA Magazine noted that Judge Charlaine Olmedo scolded him for “having his laptop out in the front row” where only media could use them. The judge warned that anyone recording or sharing information would get thrown out.

Laptop privileges for everyone almost vanished. Conlin said a spectator allegedly secretly shared a live Google Doc with a YouTuber. That let the creator broadcast updates.

Conlin shared that a press officer warned reporters, “you might not be able to have your laptop today because of this one person.” The inconvenience made the situation seem to make things harder for those who need to take notes.

Financial Motive and Cell Records

Money came up as a big motive. The Guardian reported that an executive testified that Interscope paid D4vd and affiliated entities “more than $7.2m” between 2022 and 2025. Prosecutors argued he had millions to lose if Celeste exposed their relationship.

Cell phone records added another piece. LA Magazine reported a detective showed D4vd’s phone and Tesla pinged towers “in tandem” on three trips toward Santa Barbara. Records show a call to Celeste’s phone on April 24 went straight to voicemail. She was likely already dead by then.

Unbothered Demeanor

Through all this, D4vd didn’t look bothered. Entin said D4vd was “sitting there in the courtroom just looking like emotionless” throughout the graphic testimony. Conlin added that D4vd looked “ready to meet a friend for lunch,” noting he was “smiling, nodding, laughing” with his lawyers while prosecutors laid out the evidence.

It felt like a circus at times per the duo. Entin observed Celeste’s parents “standing alone together by the bathroom in the hallway” looking “so sad,” right while people cheered over lottery tickets outside.

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