Court rules Rafferty should get legal aid

The man convicted in the abduction, sexual assault and murder of Tori Stafford will get a publicly-funded lawyer for his appeal.

A judge made the ruling Tuesday. Justice Marc Rosenberg says Michael Rafferty cannot afford a lawyer on his own and his case is too complex for a court paid duty counsel to handle. Toronto lawyer Paul Calarco admits that Rafferty was involved in the 8-year old’s brutal murder, but says the trial judge made mistakes in his charge to the jury.

Rafferty had been turned down four times by legal aid since his convictions in May 2012.