Seeking a quick trial, D4vd entered a not guilty plea today in a brief appearance in criminal court in downtown LA.

Facing first-degree murder and continuous sexual abuse charges with the death penalty over the dismembered killing last year of teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 21-year-old singer (whose real name is David Anthony Burke) sat behind a glass barrier Monday afternoon in LA Superior Court Judge Theresa McGonigle’s courtroom.

“We believe the actual evidence will show David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez,” defense lawyer Blair Berk told the judge and attendees Monday after entering pleas for her client. “We would like to have the evidence come into the light of day,” Berk added, requesting a fast tracked preliminary evidentiary hearing ASAP.

In response, Deputy DA Beth Silverman said that her boss Nathan Hochman and the prosecution office would be “very happy to put on the evidence we’ve collected against Burke. A formal felony complaint (read it here) against D4vd was filed at the same time in LASC.

Hernandez’s parents were seated nearby in the the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center during the arraignment proceedings Monday.

Earlier in the day at a press conference on the case, LA County DA Hochman stated the Romantic Homicide singer could be executed if found guilty by a jury due to “special circumstances” that permit the rare use of the death penalty in California.

Part of that special circumstance, according to the DA, is due to D4vd last April “lying in wait, murder for financial gain and killing a witness in a criminal investigation.” That witness being the then 13-year-old Hernandez herself for sex crimes against her by the TikTok sensation. Hernandez was last seen last April 23, just before she went over to D4vd’s LA home.

Additionally D4vd is facing charges of “lewd and lascivious sexual acts” with an individual under 14 years of age. Similar to the alleged murder of Rob and Michelle Reiner late last year by their youngest son Nick, the DA has not made public yet if prosecutors will seeking the death penalty or go for life without parole for D4vd.

After months and months of investigation, D4vd was arrested on April 16 this year at his rented Hollywood Hills residence. The arrest came almost 8 months after Hernnadez’s decomposed and mutilated body was discovered in the trunk of an impounded Tesla registered in the singer’ name. At the time, last September, D4vd was on tour and out of LA. Through representatives, he promised to cooperate with the LAPD and other law enforcement on the matter.

Now behind bars without bail, D4vd is scheduled to be back in court on April 23.

Also in court today, Judge McGonigle ordered the LA County medical examiner’s office to release the autopsy report for Hernandez.

That report is not available as of right now because, “the Department of Medical Examiner has not yet received notice the court order sealing the case has been lifted,” they told Deadline Monday.

That paperwork is expected to arrive in one form or another at the medical examiner’s office by Tuesday morning, I’m told — which means the autopsy report of the

Denise Petski contributed to this report