Derek Malloy was arrested on criminal charges the following winter.
The charges involved alleged official misconduct, false reporting, property damage, and participation in improper financial arrangements connected to the towing operation.
Federal authorities separately reviewed whether certain conduct supported civil-rights charges under federal law.
The criminal cases were divided according to the evidence and applicable jurisdiction.
Naomi's roadside stop became an important part of the proceedings.
But investigators also examined earlier incidents.
Some resulted in additional charges.
Others supported civil litigation or administrative findings rather than criminal prosecution.
A few could not be resolved because records were missing or witnesses were unavailable.
The prosecutors did not pretend every unanswered question could be transformed into a conviction.
Naomi approved of that restraint.
She knew the importance of proof.
She also knew the temptation to make a defendant responsible for every grievance people associated with him.
At the first pretrial hearing, Malloy appeared in a dark suit.
He looked older.
His hair had begun thinning near the temples.
He sat beside his attorney without the confidence he had displayed on the country road.
Naomi attended with Janelle.
Isaiah sat beside her.
Tessa remained home because she did not want Leonard's story reduced to a spectacle.
When Malloy entered, Isaiah's shoulders tightened.
Naomi noticed.
She placed one hand on her father's arm.
"You okay?"
He nodded.
"Just remembering."
She looked toward Malloy.
"So am I."
Isaiah studied his daughter.
Then asked quietly, "Do you think he'll finally understand?"
Naomi considered the question.
"I don't know."
"You don't think losing his job and facing charges will teach him?"
"Consequences can teach people. But people still have to decide what to learn."
Isaiah looked toward the judge's bench.
"Fair enough."
They waited for the hearing to begin.
The civil cases moved alongside the criminal proceedings.
Naomi pursued compensation for the documented damage to her vehicle and the harm arising from the stop.
Other motorists sought refunds, restitution, or civil remedies based on their own circumstances.
The county established a structured process for reviewing disputed towing charges.
Independent counsel assisted residents who had difficulty obtaining records.
A temporary claims administrator was appointed to examine a defined group of potential wrongful impoundments.
The process was not simple.
Some vehicles had been sold years earlier.
Certain records were incomplete.
Some motorists had moved away.
Others had died.
Their families faced questions about whether claims could still be pursued.
But the review created something that had been missing.
A route toward an answer.
Not a guarantee of victory.
Not an automatic payment.
A process.
Naomi visited her father one weekend after the first claims decisions were issued.
Isaiah sat at the kitchen table reading a letter.
She recognized the envelope.