Murder Victim's Aunt Asks Officials for New Law to Protect Domestic Violence Victims

The aunt of the woman stabbed to death in Annapolis earlier this month by an ex-boyfriend is proposing a new law with stricter penalties for domestic abusers.
Bonita Sims, aunt of Ronnesha Sims, proposed the new law to Annapolis Mayor Josh Cohen in a letter addressing how local officials could help save victims from future abuse. 

She calls it "Ronnesha's Law" which would prosecute and imprison an abuser with violent criminal history. 

William Brown Jr., who stabbed Sims outside her home in the Bywater community, was shot to death by police moments after stabbing her once more. Brown a violent history, however, Sims refused to testify against him in a second-degree assault charge in August 2012, because she feared for her life.

Later in court, Brown pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but all 10 years were suspended by the judge. Instead, Brown ended up getting three years probation, according to online court records.

The Capital Gazette reports that Mayor Cohen said Annapolis police in the future will flag such cases as "potential domestic violence" situations, and monitor such offenders with the State's Attorney's Office and the Capital City Streets Program.