Ed Stemler joined Walker’s attorney

It’s been a rough year for the Lake Stevens Police Department. The police chief left under a cloud in November, followed by a string of high-profile complaints about officer misconduct. The June 1 shooting of Molly Conley, 15, was a shock only lessened by a quick arrest.
Now there are indications that the department’s problems are complicating the case.
On Thursday, deputy prosecutor Ed Stemler joined Walker’s attorney, Mark Mestel, in asking a Snohomish County judge to lift a court order that limited what the defense could do with information regarding the credibility of Lake Stevens police officer James Wellington.
Stemler told Superior Court Judge Millie Judge that he no longer thought it feasible to try to keep the information about the officer protected.