Stephen H. Sachs
Stephen H. Sachs | |
---|---|
40th Attorney General of Maryland | |
In office 1979–1987 | |
Governor | Harry Hughes |
Preceded by | George A. Nilson |
Succeeded by | J. Joseph Curran Jr. |
United States Attorney for the District of Maryland | |
In office June 5, 1967 – June 1, 1970 | |
President | Lyndon B. Johnson Richard Nixon |
Preceded by | Thomas J. Kenney |
Succeeded by | George Beall |
Personal details | |
Born | Stephen Howard Sachs[1] January 31, 1934 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
Died | January 12, 2022 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | (aged 87)
Political party | Democratic |
Alma mater | |
Signature | |
Stephen Howard Sachs (January 31, 1934 – January 12, 2022) was an American lawyer and politician in the state of Maryland. He served as the Attorney General of Maryland from 1979 to 1987. He was noted for prosecuting the Catonsville Nine in 1968.
Early life and education
Sachs was born in
Career
Attorney
Sachs clerked for Henry White Edgerton of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1960 to 1961. He was subsequently appointed as an assistant US attorney by Robert F. Kennedy and served in that role until 1965. That year, he became an associate and partner in Tydings, Rosenberg & Gallagher, a local law firm. He acted concurrently as a reporter to the Committee on State Finance and Taxation for the Maryland Constitutional Convention Commission.[1]
Sachs was appointed United States Attorney for the District of Maryland in 1967,[6] and acted in that capacity until 1970.[7] He focused on prosecuting cases related to white-collar crime and public corruption.[1] For instance, he prosecuted Thomas Francis Johnson for accepting money from the state's savings and loan industry.[1][8] Sachs notably prosecuted the Catonsville Nine in 1968, after the group of activists attacked the Selective Service office in Catonsville, Maryland, to obliterate draft records. They were ultimately found guilty of destroying government property by a federal court jury half a year later. On the fiftieth anniversary of the incident, Sachs wrote that he was of the opinion that the nine were "brave" individuals "who acted out of a conviction that the war in Vietnam was profoundly evil".[1] However, he maintained that their "conduct … offends both the rule of law and a fundamental tenet of the American democracy".[1]
Sachs returned to private practice in 1970.
Politics
Sachs was elected the 40th Attorney General of Maryland in 1978,[11] and was reelected in 1982.[12] He ran as a reformist candidate who would be independent of the Democratic Party establishment. He vowed to be the "people’s lawyer" rather than be accountable to the governor (as was the practice up to that time).[13] He was credited with modernizing the office of attorney general during his tenure. One of his successors, Brian Frosh, recalled how Sachs declined to defend Maryland's practice of warehousing individuals with mental health disorders, resulting in their release. He was also remembered for being a staunch advocate for civil rights and electoral reform.[13]
Sachs was an unsuccessful candidate in the 1986 Maryland gubernatorial primary[14] with Parren Mitchell as his running mate,[15] losing to eventual general election winner William Donald Schaefer.[16]
Later career
Sachs was a partner in the firm of
In 2008, Governor Martin O'Malley appointed Sachs to head an independent review of Maryland State Police infiltration of activist groups that were acting lawfully.[21]
Personal life
Sachs was married to Sheila Kleinman Sachs for 58 years until her death in April 2019. She was a divorce attorney and sat on the
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rasmussen, Frederick N.; Kelly, Jacques (January 12, 2022). "Stephen H. Sachs, who prosecuted the Catonsville Nine and later was Maryland attorney general and law firm partner, dies". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ a b "Stephen H. Sachs, MSA SC 3520-1529". Archives of Maryland (Biographical Series). Maryland State Archives. October 15, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ Ome, Morgan (March 3, 2016). "A legacy of anti-Semitism". The Johns Hopkins News-Letter. Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ "Sachs, Leon". The Baltimore Sun. July 8, 1992. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
Jewish Museum of Maryland
- ^ "Stephen H. Sachs - Lawyer Profile". Find A Lawyer, Law Firm, Attorney & Legal Services. martindale. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ "200 Witness Swearing-In Of Sachs As U.S. Attorney". The Baltimore Sun. June 6, 1967. p. 12. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
- ^ Hendricks, Theodore W. (May 13, 1970). "The Interim U.S. Attorney Bench Names Beall To Be". The Baltimore Sun. p. 13. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
- ^ "Former Rep. Thomas Johnson of Maryland Dies". The Washington Post. February 3, 1988. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ^ Drummond, Roscoe (November 25, 1973). "Those Busy Democratic Lawyers". Oxnard Press-Courier. Washington Focus. p. 4. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ Tapper, Jake (June 6, 2005). "Son of L. Patrick Gray Says Claims About His Father Are 'Categorically False'". ABC News. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - MD Attorney General Race - Nov 07, 1978". OurCampaigns.com. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - MD Attorney General Race - Nov 02, 1982". OurCampaigns.com. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ a b c Kurtz, Josh (January 12, 2022). "Steve Sachs, former Md. attorney general, dies at age 87". WTOP-FM. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ "Candidates for Governor in the 1986 Gubernatorial Primary Election". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- University of Maryland School of Law. January 1986. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - MD Governor - D Primary Race - Sep 09, 1986". OurCampaigns.com. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ "Stephen H. Sachs, Retired Partner". Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ Barringer, Felicity (September 26, 1989). "Prison Releases A Defiant Mother". The New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ Barringer, Felicity (February 25, 1990). "Child's 15,000-Mile Odyssey In a Troubling Custody Case". The New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ Miller, Bill (July 8, 1999). "Babbitt Finishes Grand Jury Testimony". The Washington Post. p. A5. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- The Washington Examiner. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ Kelly, Jacques (April 22, 2019). "Sheila K. Sachs, pioneering Baltimore attorney and influential city school board member, dies". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 1, 2021.