Sachs Heading Probe Into State Police Spying ANNAPOLIS, MD (wypr) - The surveillance took place for 14 months in 2005 and 2006. State Police Superintendent Colonel Terrence Sheridan already has conducted a preliminary investigation and concluded that the troopers involved didn't break any laws. But the governor said Sachs brings a certain detachment and perspective to the case because he is not part of O'Malley's administration.

He is a person is able to look at this with openness, transparency, a fresh view and can give us the truth 01:13 01:17 in a way that I think gives the public some greater assurance that we are interested in making sure we adopt whatever guidelines we should moving forward.

Sheridan said later he didn't consider O'Malley's request a slight.

It's a partnership. And I think it's showing the people what this governor's about and what this police agency is about. You know, we're here for them. We can't succeed without the help and assistance of our citizens and we have to make sure they have faith and trust in what we're doing.

The surveillance came to light when the American Civil Liberties Union released documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The documents showed that two undercover agents infiltrated and monitored three Baltimore based anti-war and anti-death penalty groups during the administration of former Governor Robert Ehrlich.

Ehrlich, who could not be reached today, said on a radio program last week that he was unaware of the spying but that it was approved by then Attorney General Joseph Curran.

Douglas Gansler, the current attorney general, denied that.

To be clear, General Curran had no knowledge whatsoever of this practice at the time.

The ACLU issued a statement praising O'Malley's announcement, which comes days after lawmakers in Annapolis announced they would hold hearings on the spying in the fall.

Sheridan has said that the operation, conducted under his predecessor, Thomas Hutchins, resulted from fears that demonstrations involving two planned executions in 2005 could turn violent. At the same time, however, he questioned the need for it.

I've already said that I think it was a bad call; putting someone in for that period of time for those reasons doesn't make sense to me.

Sheridan promised full cooperation with the review. Sachs, who served as attorney general from 1979 to 1986, said the governor wants him to lay out the unvarnished truth about what happened and what didn't happen.

So that he can take steps to insure that the citizens of Maryland are able to pursue their interests, including expression of their opinions and the exercise of their constitutional rights un-hobbled by officialdom and un-chilled by official interference.

At the same time, he said, police should retain the authority to perform legitimate public safety functions.

My hope is that the results of my inquiry will help promote those goals and be of assistance to Governor O'Malley in fulfilling them.

Sachs went into private practice after his second term as attorney general and retired in 1999. He serves as an arbitrator in domestic and international commercial disputes.

O'Malley called the operation a waste of public resources and said he hopes the investigation will provide guidelines for police.

Whenever you have the issue of police involvement, police investigations where groups are advocating for a change in public policy that brings a high level of scrutiny and a high standard for us as a free people to live up to.

Sachs is to complete his review within 30 to 60 days.

I'm Joel McCord, reporting in Annapolis for 88.1, WYPR.

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