Forestry Law Articles 58–62 (illegal logging, cambio de uso) and Criminal Code Article 339 (incumplimiento de deberes by officials). Procedural rules for fiscalía denuncias.
Artículos 58–62 de la Ley Forestal (tala ilegal, cambio de uso) y Artículo 339 del Código Penal (incumplimiento de deberes de funcionarios). Reglas procesales para denuncias ante fiscalía.
230 documents in this topic.
Res. 00095-2026 Sala Tercera de la Corte2026 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Legitimación de la PGR y enmienda jerárquica en delitos ambientales
The Third Chamber resolves a cassation appeal against a ruling that upheld a definitive dismissal due to a conciliation agreement in a crime of invasion of a protection area. The Attorney General's Office (PGR) argued it should be considered a victim to authorize the conciliation, but it had not joined as a querellante or civil actor. The Chamber dismisses…
Res. 00193-2026 Sala Tercera de la Corte2026 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Transporte de madera sin documentación es delito aunque no se demuestre origen
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice ruled on an appeal for cassation filed by the Office of the Attorney General, acting as victim in a criminal environmental case. The case involved the acquittal of a defendant for illegal timber transport, based on the fact that it was not proven that the transported wood came from a forest or forest…
Res. 00087-2026 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2026 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Absolución por invasión a área de protección y rechazo de derribo por falta de acreditación de hechos
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of the Third Judicial Circuit of Alajuela, San Ramón, reviewed appeals against an acquittal for the crime of invading a conservation and protection area. Both the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Attorney General's Office appealed. The Attorney General's appeal was dismissed as untimely. The prosecutor's appeal…
Res. 00061-2026 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2026 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Anulación parcial por falta de fundamentación en cuantificación del daño ambiental por trasiego de huevos de tortuga baula
The Criminal Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José reviewed an appeal against a conviction by the Flagrancy Court of Limón. The defendant was convicted of violating the Wildlife Conservation Law, sentenced to one year in prison, and ordered to pay three thousand dollars in environmental damages. The defense appealed, claiming the civil…
Res. 00080-2026 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2026 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Delito de usurpación de aguas: elementos típicos y determinación del daño económico
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Tribunal of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José partially upheld a conviction for water usurpation against an individual who diverted a public-domain stream to benefit an oil palm plantation, causing environmental damage. The defense argued contradictions in the evidence assessment and the absence of the profit element…
Res. 00045-2026 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2026 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Absolución por invasión en área protegida y anulación parcial de acción civil
The Criminal Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José, in resolution 00045-2026, hears the appeal filed by the Attorney General's Office against the acquittal issued by the Limón Criminal Court in favor of the defendant for the crime of invasion of a conservation area, harming natural resources, specifically within Tortuguero National Park.…
Res. 00232-2026 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2026 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Anulación de sobreseimiento por infracción a la Ley de Pesca
The San Ramón Sentencing Appeals Court overturned a definitive dismissal in favor of a defendant accused of illegal fishing during a closed season in the Gulf of Nicoya. The lower court had dismissed the case as atypical, reasoning that the small catch and gear indicated subsistence rather than commercial fishing. The appeals court annulled this decision,…
Res. 00111-2026 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2026 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Anulación de absolución por tala en zona de protección por defectuosa valoración de prueba
The Court of Appeals for Criminal Sentences of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José overturns the acquittal issued by the Criminal Court of the Atlantic Zone in favor of a defendant charged with logging in a protection zone. The prosecution's appeal is upheld because the trial court's judgment lacked intellectual reasoning, misvalued evidence, and…
Res. 00639-2025 Sala Tercera de la Corte2025 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Admisibilidad de casación penal por contradicción de precedentes sobre interpretación de Ley Forestal
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice declares admissible a cassation appeal filed by the Attorney General’s Office against a judgment of the Criminal Appeals Court of San Ramón. The appeal is based on the ground of conflicting precedents (article 468(a) of the Criminal Procedure Code). The prosecution argues that the challenged judgment —…
Res. 00481-2025 Sala Tercera de la Corte2025 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Revision contra sobreseimiento definitivo es inadmisible por ausencia de sentencia condenatoria
The Third Chamber declares inadmissible the review procedure filed by a defendant against the definitive dismissal granted in his favor by the Criminal Court of Pavas in 2021, for the crime of violating the Forestry Law. The petitioner alleged violations of due process, ineffective legal assistance, and erroneous assessment of evidence during the…
Res. 01070-2025 Sala Tercera de la Corte2025 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Comiso de embarcación y gravamen judicial por pesca ilegal en área protegida
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court annuls the appellate decision that ordered the definitive return of a vessel seized for illegal fishing in Santa Rosa National Park. It finds that the appellate court failed to rule on confiscation of the property, a mandatory element of the criminal judgment under the Criminal Procedure Code, and incorrectly lifted…
Res. 00017-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Absolución por prevaricato en Decreto de Conveniencia Nacional del Proyecto Minero Crucitas
The Criminal Sentence Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José upheld the acquittal of the former Minister of Environment and other defendants on charges of prevarication related to Executive Decree 34801-MINAE, which declared the Crucitas Mining Project of public interest and national convenience. The trial court acquitted after finding…
Res. 00047-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Absolución por duda ante inconsistencia en fecha del hecho
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José annulled the acquittal issued by the Trial Court of the Atlantic Zone, which had acquitted two defendants of illegal logging in a protected area due to doubt, based on inconsistencies in the date of the events. The appeal was filed by the Attorney General's Office, arguing…
Res. 00137-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Construcción de trocha y tala en zona de protección de naciente
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of Cartago upholds the conviction of the defendant for invading a protection zone, building a path in a protected area, and destruction of vegetation, in ideal concurrence. The trial court found him criminally responsible and sentenced him to one year and three months in prison, with conditional execution, plus civil…
Res. 00348-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Deber de resolver la restitución del estado anterior del bien en sentencia penal ambiental aunque sea absolutoria
The Sentencing Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José annulled the acquittal issued by the Atlantic Zone Criminal Court in a case of invasion of the Tortuguero National Park and usurpation of public domain property. The Chamber found that the judgment lacked adequate reasoning, as it failed to assess key evidence (testimony from SINAC…
Res. 00316-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Acción de cortar un árbol caído constituye aprovechamiento ilícito
The Criminal Appeals Court of the Third Judicial Circuit of Alajuela, San Ramón, upheld the criminal conviction for illegal exploitation of forest products but partially annulled the civil damages award. The defendants had removed a tree that had fallen into the Paires River, located within a protected area under the Forestry Law, and cut it into pieces…
Res. 00509-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Actividad de explotación minera en área de protección del río Elia
The Criminal Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José upholds the conviction of the defendant for a crime of mining exploitation activity, committed in 2009 within the 15-meter protection zone of the Elia River in Guácimo, Limón. The defense argued lack of precision in the charge regarding joint participation and errors in evidentiary…
Res. 00797-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Responsabilidad civil objetiva por daño ambiental tras absolución penal
The Sentencing Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José partially annulled the acquittal issued by the Sarapiquí Criminal Court, which had dismissed the civil indemnity claim for illegal logging on the grounds that not all co-owners were sued and that no intent or negligence was proven. The Attorney General's Office appealed, arguing that…
Res. 00264-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Responsabilidad civil objetiva por daño ambiental tras absolución penal
The Guanacaste Criminal Appeals Court reviewed a ruling that acquitted a defendant of invasion of a protected area and water-related crimes, yet upheld a civil damages claim against the company owning the property, ordering payment of ₡15,230,131.40 for environmental and water damage and restoration of the site. The company's lawyer appealed, arguing the…
Res. 01199-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Condena parcial por usurpación de aguas y aprovechamiento forestal en propiedad privada
The Juvenile Criminal Appeals Court ruled on an appeal against a conviction for two counts of water usurpation and illegal logging on private property, acquitting the accused of protected area invasion. The appeal contested the concurrence of offenses, sentencing rationale, evidence assessment, and civil liability for environmental damage. The court…
Res. 01214-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Restitución de cosas a estado anterior en delito de usurpación requiere acción civil
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Tribunal of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José reviews an appeal against an acquittal for usurpation of the maritime-terrestrial zone. The trial court acquitted the defendants but, on its own motion, ordered eviction and demolition of structures built without a concession in the restricted zone. The appellate tribunal…
Res. 00697-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Derribo de obra en área de protección de quebrada procede aunque se haya absuelto penalmente
The Criminal Appeals Court partially overturned an acquittal that had refused to order the demolition of a structure encroaching into a stream's protection area. Two defendants were acquitted of Forest Law violations because they lacked intent—they had built with municipal and INVU permits that overlooked the stream's existence. The trial court…
Res. 00366-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Improcedencia de intereses y costas pactadas en procedimiento abreviado ambiental
The Guanacaste Sentencing Appeals Court reviews an appeal by the Attorney General’s Office against a judgment that, under Costa Rica’s abbreviated (plea-bargain) procedure, convicted the defendant of invading a protected area, illegal logging, and usurpation of public domain lands, and granted civil damages for environmental harm. The appellant argued the…
Res. 00450-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Obligación de acreditar el origen de la madera transportada
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal of Guanacaste overturns an acquittal in a case of illegal timber transportation. The accused was caught carrying 4.06 m³ of sawn wood without permits, but the trial judge acquitted on the grounds that the prosecution failed to state whether the wood came from a forest or plantation. The appellate tribunal rejects this narrow…
Res. 00268-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Restitución de áreas de protección hídrica a tercero propietario sobrevenido
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of Cartago upheld a ruling ordering the restoration of water protection areas to their original state, even against a third-party owner who acquired the property after the environmental offenses occurred. The court held that although the original defendant's criminal liability was not established, the invasion of…
Res. 00449-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Absolución penal por prescripción y confirmación de condena civil por tala en área de protección
The Cartago Criminal Appeals Court heard two appeals against a conviction for forest harvesting within a permanent water spring protection area. Unanimously, the court declared the criminal action extinguished by the statute of limitations, as more than eighteen months had elapsed since the last interrupting act (full reading of the judgment) without the…
Res. 00468-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Transportar madera sin documentación constituye delito, independientemente de su origen exacto
The Criminal Appeals Court of Cartago overturned an acquittal issued by the Flagrancy Court of Corredores, which had acquitted a defendant of illegal transportation of forest products. The trial judge considered that the prosecution failed to prove the wood came from a forest or forest plantation as defined by Article 3 of the Forestry Law, and did not…
Res. 01092-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Apelación de sentencia en acción civil resarcitoria por cambio de uso de suelo
The Criminal Appeals Court of San Ramón affirms the ruling that dismissed the State's civil damages action against Don Quijote S.A. and denied restoration of the land. The Attorney General's Office alleged that 5.23 hectares of natural forest were cut and cleared in 2017. However, the trial court found that the existence of a forest ecosystem in the…
Res. 00492-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Comiso de embarcación y responsabilidad civil por pesca ilegal sin licencia — apelación parcialmente con lugar
The Criminal Appeals Court of Guanacaste heard an appeal against a conviction for unlicensed fishing and illegal possession of aquatic fauna, which imposed a fine of eight base salaries (approx. $6,800 USD), vessel forfeiture, and joint civil liability. The defense argued improper police intervention, lack of reasoning, violation of defense rights, and…
Res. 01201-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Conciliación penal por daño ambiental reparado
The Court of Criminal Appeal of the Third Judicial Circuit of Alajuela (San Ramón) denies the appeal filed by the Office of the Attorney General against the definitive dismissal of charges against two defendants for the crime of invading a conservation area. The trial court approved a conciliation agreement between the defendants and the Attorney General's…
Res. 02075-2025 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2025 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Nulidad de condena penal por falta de fundamentación en delitos ambientales
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José partially annuls a conviction issued in abbreviated proceedings for the crimes of invasion of a protected area, illegal waste disposal, and usurpation of public domain property. The Chamber finds that the trial judge failed to conduct a legal analysis of the objective and…
Res. 00055-2024 Sala Tercera de la Corte2024 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Sala Tercera declara inadmisible casación por infracción a zona marítimo terrestre y orden de demolición
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice hears a cassation appeal filed by the defendant against an appellate ruling that upheld his conviction for the crime of infringement of the maritime-terrestrial zone and ordered the demolition of buildings in a public area. The Chamber, by majority, declares the appeal inadmissible. Essentially, it finds…
Res. 00004-2024 Sala Tercera de la Corte2024 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Responsabilidad civil objetiva ambiental del titular registral del inmueble en tala ilegal
The Criminal Cassation Chamber admits for substantive review a cassation appeal filed by the Office of the Attorney General, acting as plaintiff and civil party, against a ruling by the Sentencing Appeals Court that reversed the first-instance civil judgment. The underlying criminal case concerned the illegal harvesting of sixteen timber trees on private…
Res. 00005-2024 Sala Tercera de la Corte2024 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Competencia del juez penal para ordenar demolición en zona marítimo-terrestre y refugio nacional
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court admitted the cassation appeal filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office against a ruling by the Sentencing Appeals Tribunal of San José. The core dispute concerns whether a criminal judge has jurisdiction to order the demolition of an illegal construction built within the maritime-terrestrial zone and inside the…
Res. 00324-2024 Sala Tercera de la Corte2024 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Improcedencia de responsabilidad civil objetiva por falta de nexo causal y prueba en tala ilegal
The Criminal Cassation Chamber of the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the cassation appeal filed by the Attorney General’s Office against the acquittal of civil liability of a defendant in a case of illegal exploitation of forest products. The appellate court had reversed the civil judgment after finding: (i) no evidence linking the defendant to the…
Res. 00450-2024 Sala Tercera de la Corte2024 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Derribo de construcción y principio in dubio pro natura requiere certeza del daño ambiental
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice rejects two cassation appeals filed by the Public Ministry and the Attorney General's Office. The appellants argued that the appellate court ignored Article 11 of the Biodiversity Law by refusing to order demolition of a house allegedly built in a protection zone of a permanent spring. The Chamber finds…
Res. 01035-2024 Sala Tercera de la Corte2024 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Admisibilidad comiso de embarcación por pesca ilegal en parque nacional
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica admits for substantive review two cassation grounds filed by the Attorney General’s Office against an appellate ruling. The Appellate Court had upheld a conviction for illegal fishing in Santa Rosa National Park but refused to order forfeiture of the vessel used, instead lifting the annotation…
Res. 00128-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Absolución por duda en delito de adquisición ilegal de madera anulada por falta de fundamentación
The Specialized Criminal Appeals Court for Organized Crime reviewed an appeal filed by the Attorney General's Office against an acquittal by the trial court for the crime of illegal acquisition or processing of forest products, based on the in dubio pro reo principle. The prosecution argued erroneous assessment of evidence and lack of reasoning, contending…
Res. 00109-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Invasión de área de protección sin análisis conjunto de pruebas
The Criminal Appeals Court overturned the acquittal by the Alajuela Trial Court, finding the evidentiary assessment deficient and incomplete. The trial judge had acquitted the defendant of invading a conservation area based on in dubio pro reo, concluding that it was not proven that the structures within the spring protection zone were new. The Attorney…
Res. 00148-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Restitución al estado original no es medida cautelar: debe motivarse aun si se absuelve al imputado
The Court of Criminal Appeal of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José annuls the acquittal issued in case No. 11-000899-0485-PE for invasion of a protected area in Tortuguero, but only regarding the civil claims (damages and demolition) brought by the Attorney General’s Office. The court upholds the appeal of the State’s criminal attorney because the…
Res. 00427-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Invasión de zona marítimo terrestre — nulidad por incongruencia
The Criminal Sentence Appeals Tribunal of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José annulled an acquittal issued by the Criminal Trial Court of the First Atlantic Judicial Circuit in a case of marine-terrestrial zone invasion. The appealed ruling acquitted the defendant based on the in dubio pro reo principle, yet its findings of fact fully established all…
Res. 00661-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Recalificación de pesca ilegal a piratería bajo principio precautorio
The Criminal Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José resolved an appeal against a conviction for illegal fishing in the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge. The defense argued there was no proof of fish capture and that witness testimony was contradictory. The court upheld the conviction, holding that environmental crimes are…
Res. 00706-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Nulidad de sentencia por falta de análisis de zona agrícola en delito forestal
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José annulled the conviction and trial, ordering a new trial before a different judge. The defendants had been convicted for harvesting forest products on private property without state authorization after felling four laurel trees that did not match those in a prior permit. The…
Res. 00243-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Absolución por defecto en la imputación del delito de aprovechamiento forestal
The Criminal Appeals Court of Cartago upheld the acquittal of the defendant for violations of the Forestry Law, holding that the accusation did not adequately describe the conduct of 'exploitation' of forest products. The majority found that the charge merely stated a legal concept without the necessary factual details, violating the principle of proper…
Res. 01024-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Carga de la prueba del error de prohibición en invasión de área protegida
The Criminal Appeals Court upholds a conviction for invasion of a protected area in the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge. The defense argued that the accused acted under a mistake of fact, believing the land belonged to his father and not knowing it was within the refuge. The court rejects the appeal, holding that the burden of proving a mistake…
Res. 01093-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Restitución ambiental de humedales pese a absolución penal
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José partially annulled an acquittal that had refused to order the restoration of a wetland to its original state after draining and drying activities by two defendants in Pococí. Although the accused were acquitted on criminal grounds due to doubt about their knowledge of the wetland’s…
Res. 00617-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Confirmación de condena civil por daño a manglar en Parrita
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal of San Ramón upholds the joint civil liability imposed on an individual and the company Marina Linda S.A. for the destruction of 4.6 hectares of mangrove forest in Estero Zapote, Parrita. At the first trial, the accused was found responsible for development in public areas, but the Appellate Court partially annulled the…
Res. 00648-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Derribo de obras en zona de protección procede aunque no haya condena penal
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal partially overturned an acquittal regarding the refusal to order the demolition of works (street, sidewalk, culvert, and water tank) built within a permanent spring protection zone. The trial court had rejected the demolition, arguing that the acquittal lacked proven facts about the damage and that the civil compensation claim…
Res. 01598-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Apelación de absolución por pesca ilegal con arbaleta
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court overturned the acquittal issued by the Heredia Criminal Court, Sarapiquí seat, in favor of a defendant accused of illegal fishing in protected inland waters using a speargun, conduct criminalized under Article 97 of the Wildlife Conservation Law (Law 7317). The acquittal was based on the in dubio pro reo principle due…
Res. 01785-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Confirmación de condena por estafa mayor y falsedad instrumental sobre tierras del INDER
The Court of Criminal Appeals upheld the aggravated fraud conviction of an individual who, using a false notarial certification and a non-existent possessory information proceeding, managed to register over 106 hectares of land in the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve, owned by INDER, in his name. The defendant, who had previously failed to obtain title to the…
Res. 01904-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
PGR parte necesaria en suspensión del proceso a prueba por delito ambiental
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José overturned a definitive dismissal ruling in a case concerning the illegal trafficking of sea turtles. The lower court had approved a suspension of the criminal procedure on probation without summoning or considering the input of the Attorney General’s Office (PGR), which had appeared…
Res. 01007-2024 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2024 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Absolución de transportista de mariscos por falta de dolo y error de prohibición
The Criminal Appeals Court of the Third Judicial Circuit of Alajuela upholds the acquittal of a driver accused of illegal possession and transport of aquatic fauna products. The trial court acquitted the defendant under the principle of in dubio pro reo, finding no proof that he knew his conduct was illegal or that he had purchased or commercialized the…
Res. 00036-2023 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2023 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Nulidad de sentencia penal por tala de manú en Parque Nacional Tenorio
The Criminal Appeals Court of the Third Judicial Circuit of Alajuela, San Ramón, entirely annulled the conviction by the Trial Court of Ciudad Quesada against two defendants for illegal logging and timber exploitation. The original ruling imposed prison sentences commuted to fines, conditional execution benefit, and civil damages for environmental harm.…
Res. 00044-2023 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2023 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Restitución al estado original y responsabilidad del banco por invasión de zona de protección
The Criminal Appeals Court of Guanacaste upholds the conviction for invasion of a protected area of the Chipanzo River and orders restitution to the original state through complete demolition of all structures within the ten-meter protection zone. The appeals of the accused and Banco Popular are dismissed, finding that the pre-existing construction was…
Res. 00497-2023 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2023 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Responsabilidad civil objetiva en daños ambientales — Corte apela rechazo de acción resarcitoria
This ruling addresses an appeal by the Attorney General's Office against the acquittal and dismissal of a civil damages claim for two defendants accused of invading a protected area and changing land use in the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge. While the criminal acquittal based on mistake of fact was upheld, the appeals court focused on the…
Res. 00538-2023 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2023 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Restitución del bosque a su estado original procede aunque se absuelva penalmente al imputado
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court reviewed appeals against a judgment that acquitted three defendants of usurpation, illegal logging, and land-use change, yet ordered restitution of the property to its original forest state, eviction, and demolition of structures. The defendants had occupied a forested estate under a conservation regime and payment for…
Res. 00269-2023 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2023 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Absolución revocada por errónea valoración de prueba en aprovechamiento forestal ilegal
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal of Guanacaste overturned the acquittal of municipal official María Wilman Acosta Gutiérrez, who was charged with illegal forest harvesting. The trial court had absolved her, applying the in dubio pro reo principle, on the grounds that it was not proven that municipal worker Jimmy Vega Rodríguez had cut the Cocobolo and…
Res. 01098-2023 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2023 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
No prescribe acción penal en delito de cambio de uso del suelo mientras persistan sus efectos
The Criminal Appeals Court of San José overturned a definitive dismissal based on prescription for a defendant accused of invading a protected area, changing land use, illegal logging, and draining a wetland in Tortuguero National Park. The appeal argued these crimes are permanent or have permanent effects, meaning prescription only starts when…
Res. 01311-2023 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2023 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Extracción de huevos de tortuga baula y daño ambiental comprobado
The Criminal Appeals Court upheld the conviction for destruction of nests of endangered wildlife against an individual caught extracting leatherback turtle eggs on Matina beach, Limón. The defense argued violation of the in dubio pro reo principle, questioning the number of eggs seized (174 versus a maximum of 100 per nest) and proof of environmental harm.…
Res. 00506-2023 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2023 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Comiso de embarcación de tercero en pesca ilegal a baja escala
The Criminal Sentence Appeals Court of Guanacaste ruled on an appeal filed by the Attorney General's Office against a judgment of the Flagrancy Court of Liberia that convicted an individual for illegal fishing in Santa Rosa National Park and, among other measures, ordered the return of the vessel to its lawful owner, a third party not involved in the…
Res. 00531-2023 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2023 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Anulación de condena por patrocinio de minería ilícita por falta de fundamentación
The Criminal Appeals Court of Guanacaste overturned the trial court conviction of a landowner for illicit mining sponsorship under Article 140 of the Mining Code. The lower court had found him responsible for allowing illegal extraction of ballast from his property, sentencing him to three months in prison with conditional execution and awarding abstract…
Res. 00539-2023 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2023 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Incumplimiento de suspensión de obras y orden de derribo de tapia en zona protectora del río Riyito
The Guanacaste Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court upholds the acquittal for violation of the Forestry Law but keeps the demolition order for a 94.5-meter perimeter wall that encroaches on the protection zone of the Riyito River in Santa Cruz. The defense alleged procedural defects in the admission of evidence, a lack of correlation between the charges and…
Res. 00545-2023 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2023 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Falta de fundamentación intelectiva en condena por tala ilegal en zona boscosa
The Guanacaste Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court overturns a conviction for two counts of Forestry Law violations (illegal harvesting of forest resources on private property), finding that the trial court failed to provide an intellectual rationale. The appealed judgment described the evidence but did not analyze or link the testimonies to the proven facts…
Res. 00487-2023 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2023 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Restitución de cosas al estado anterior en delitos forestales pese a absolutoria penal
The Criminal Sentence Appeals Court of Cartago, by majority, upheld the appeal filed by the Attorney General's Office against an acquittal that denied restitution to the prior state. The case involved the invasion of a water protection area through crops and a road on private land. The trial court acquitted the defendant due to doubt about authorship but…
Res. 00015-2022 Sala Tercera de la Corte2022 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Inadmisibilidad del recurso de casación por mezcla de motivos en delito forestal
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court declares inadmissible the cassation appeal filed by the State's prosecutor against the acquittal of the defendant on charges of illegal logging and timber extraction. The appellate court had upheld the acquittal applying the in dubio pro reo principle, finding the evidence insufficient and not unequivocal to prove the…
Res. 00181-2022 Sala Tercera de la Corte2022 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Casación sobre restitución de área de protección hídrica en causa forestal
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court rules on the admissibility of a cassation appeal filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office against a judgment of the Criminal Appeals Tribunal that confirmed the acquittal of a person accused of violating forestry law, without ordering the restoration of the affected ecosystem. The prosecutor argues that the appellate…
Res. 00437-2022 Sala Tercera de la Corte2022 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Responsabilidad civil objetiva en daño ambiental: aplicación del principio 'quien contamina paga'
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica, upon resolving a cassation appeal, partially annuls the judgment of the Criminal Appeal Court of Cartago that had upheld the criminal and civil acquittal of a defendant for forestry offenses. The Chamber concludes that environmental law is governed by an objective (strict) civil liability…
Res. 00691-2022 Sala Tercera de la Corte2022 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Cambio de uso de suelo: prescripción no corre mientras no cesen sus efectos
The Criminal Cassation Chamber, by majority, unifies criteria on the statute of limitations for the crime of land-use change under Article 61(c) of the Forestry Law. It holds that this is an immediately consummated crime with permanent effects, and therefore the limitation period does not begin to run until the effects cease—that is, when regeneration of…
Res. 00019-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Deber de fundamentación en procedimiento abreviado por tala en zona de protección hídrica
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of Guanacaste annuls a conviction handed down in an abbreviated procedure for the crime of forest exploitation in a water protection area. The trial court had imposed two months' imprisonment and one million colones in compensation for environmental damage. The defendant appealed, alleging lack of adequate reasoning.…
Res. 00051-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Anulación de sentencia penal por defectos de fundamentación y reenvío
The Criminal Sentence Appeals Court of Cartago annulled the conviction (No. 170-2021) issued by the Trial Court of the Southern Zone (Pérez Zeledón) against several defendants for forestry, drug trafficking, and money laundering crimes. The defense's appeal argued, among other things, deficiencies in the descriptive reasoning of the judgment, as it failed…
Res. 00287-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Conmutación por trabajo comunal en aprovechamiento forestal ilegal
The Criminal Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José, in Resolution No. 00287-2022, denied the appeal filed by the public defender of a defendant sentenced to 20 days in prison for illegal harvesting of forest resources (Forestry Law). The defense argued violation of procedural law and erroneous reasoning on the penalty, as the prison…
Res. 00412-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Transporte de madera sin documentación configura delito aunque provenga de Nicaragua
The Criminal Appeals Court of San Ramón upheld the conviction of two individuals for violating the Forestry Law through illegal transport of almendro amarillo timber. The defense argued on appeal that the wood came from Nicaragua, that Costa Rican forestry law does not protect foreign natural resources, and that the case involved extraterritoriality. The…
Res. 00336-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Responsabilidad civil objetiva en daño ambiental — absolución penal no excluye indemnización
The Court of Appeal of Criminal Sentencing of Cartago reviews an appeal against a ruling that acquitted the defendant criminally and dismissed the civil claim for environmental damages (forest clearing, land-use change, construction of a trail near a spring). The court finds that the trial judge erroneously tied civil liability to the existence of a…
Res. 00396-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Movilización de madera requiere certificado de origen aunque medie permiso de corta
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal of Guanacaste, through Vote 2022-306 (Resolution No. 00396-2022), overturned a definitive dismissal issued by the Flagrancy Court for lacking criminal elements, in a case involving transport of stolen forest products. The prosecution had charged the defendant with mobilizing timber without the required documentation, under…
Res. 00985-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Orden de derribo en refugio de vida silvestre pese a absolutoria penal
This ruling addresses the appeal filed by a defendant acquitted on doubt grounds for invasion and land-use change, but against whom the trial court ordered the demolition of a dwelling built without a permit inside the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge. The Court of Appeals declared inadmissible the appeal against the acquittal on doubt, as the…
Res. 00480-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Movilización ilícita de madera y documentación necesaria para el transporte de productos forestales
The Guanacaste Criminal Appeals Chamber upholds the acquittal of the defendant on charges of illegal transportation and acquisition of forest products. Although the defendant was hauling sawn wood without the required invoice at the time of arrest, the omission was due to a material impossibility—the sawmill owner could not issue the invoice in time…
Res. 00493-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Anulación de condena por trasegar huevos de tortuga lora
The Guanacaste Criminal Appeals Court overturned the conviction of two women charged with trafficking 3,020 olive ridley turtle eggs in Ostional. The appeal argued lack of evidentiary reasoning, defective police procedure, and violation of due process. The appellate court found the trial judgment merely described actions without critical analysis of the…
Res. 01109-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Absolución por duda en la caracterización de naciente permanente y falta de dolo en infracción a la Ley Forestal
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of Alajuela, San Ramón, rules on the appeals filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Attorney General's Office against the acquittal issued by the Grecia Trial Court for the offense of infringement of the Forestry Law (Art. 58(a)). The appeals challenge the evaluation of expert evidence, the existence of…
Res. 01649-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Invasión a área protegida de quebrada y principio in dubio pro reo
The Criminal Sentence Appeals Court overturned the acquittal of a defendant charged with invading a conservation or protected area. The trial court acquitted based on the in dubio pro reo principle, reasoning that the accusation did not specify why the stream was a protected area or the violated norms. The Appeals Court found these doubts unfounded, as the…
Res. 01738-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Error en reenvío penal mantiene pena anulada
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José hears an appeal by the Public Prosecutor against a judgment of the Flagrancy Court of the Atlantic Zone. The original case involves two defendants convicted of trafficking in eggs of the leatherback turtle, an endangered species, under Article 95(a) of the Wildlife…
Res. 01773-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Doble conforme y restitución ambiental en sentencia absolutoria por infracción a la Ley Forestal
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José reviewed two appeals in a case involving violation of the Forestry Law (illegal logging and invasion of a protected area). The trial court had acquitted the defendant of both criminal and civil liability and denied environmental restitution. The appeals court first examines…
Res. 01807-2022 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2022 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Actuaciones policiales basadas en meras sospechas como prueba espuria en delitos ambientales
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José upheld the acquittal of a defendant charged with illegal hunting and trafficking of protected wildlife (lowland paca). The trial court had acquitted the defendant after finding that the evidence (meat, hunting implements) was obtained illegally by police, who conducted a stop…
Res. 00940-2022 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo2022 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo
Fijación prudencial de costas en ejecución de sentencia contenciosa ambiental
Resolution of the Contentious-Administrative Tribunal deciding an enforcement of judgment in a case where CONAVI was ordered to carry out works to prevent the contamination of a water spring. After the main trial and the cassation appeal, CONAVI was ordered as the principal debtor and the State as the subsidiary liable party to pay personal and procedural…
Res. 00003-2021 Sala Tercera de la Corte2021 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Deber de fundamentación y examen integral en apelación penal ambiental
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice annuls two prior decisions — an acquittal and its confirmation on appeal — in a case involving the illegal harvesting of a Guanacaste tree. The Prosecutor's Office had charged two individuals with sawing and stockpiling wood without a permit from the State Forestry Administration. The Flagrancy Court…
Res. 00057-2021 Sala Tercera de la Corte2021 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Inadmisibilidad de casación penal por dragado de humedal sin acreditar daño ambiental
The Criminal Chamber declares inadmissible the cassation appeal filed by the State on behalf of the public interest, challenging the acquittal for the crime of wetland drainage. The prosecution argued errors in evidentiary assessment and violation of sound judicial reasoning, claiming that testimony from SINAC officers and the defendant's admission of…
Res. 00514-2021 Sala Tercera de la Corte2021 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Restitución ambiental no requiere acción civil resarcitoria separada
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court admits three cassation grounds filed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office against a ruling of the Cartago Criminal Appeals Court. The lower court had declared the prosecutor’s appeal inadmissible and denied the Attorney General’s appeal, thereby upholding the acquittal of a defendant…
Res. 01021-2021 Sala Tercera de la Corte2021 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Inadmisibilidad de casación por mezcla de motivos en condena por daño social
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice declares inadmissible the cassation appeal filed by the Attorney General's Office against the ruling of the Cartago Criminal Sentencing Appeals Tribunal that partially revoked the social damage award in a case of usurpation of public domain property and water usurpation. The appeal alleged erroneous…
Res. 00084-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Anulación de sentencia absolutoria por tala ilegal y extracción minera en territorio indígena
The Cartago Criminal Sentence Appeals Court overturned the acquittal issued by the Pérez Zeledón Trial Court, which had absolved three defendants of charges for violating the Forestry Law (illegal logging, timber extraction, construction of logging roads in forest, and land-use change) and the Mining Code (illegal material extraction). The appellate court…
Res. 00100-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Transporte de madera sin portar factura no constituye delito si se acredita origen lícito
The Criminal Appeals Court of Guanacaste rejected the prosecution's appeal and upheld the acquittal of two defendants charged with illegal timber transport. The prosecution argued that transporting wooden formworks without carrying an invoice or transport guide constituted a willful violation of the Forestry Law. The trial court acquitted, finding the…
Res. 00106-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Invasión de zona de protección requiere conocimiento del agua, no de su dominio público
The Cartago Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court resolves an appeal by the Public Prosecutor against the defendant's acquittal on charges of invasion of a protection zone, destruction of flora, and illegal extraction in a public-domain protection zone. The court corrects a trial-level error: for the crime under Article 58(a) of the Forestry Law, it is not…
Res. 00131-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Guías de transporte de madera como documentos auténticos y falsedad ideológica forestal
The Criminal Appeals Court of Guanacaste upheld a conviction for ideological falsehood (Costa Rican Penal Code art. 367) against a forestry regent who, after his regency contract had expired, issued a timber transport guide falsely stating that the wood came from a plantation when it actually originated from an agroforestry system. The ruling analyzes the…
Res. 00284-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Absolución por falta de dolo directo en invasión de área de protección
The Criminal Appeals Court of San Ramón upheld the acquittal of a civil engineer accused of invading the protection area of the Mastate River by building five social-interest houses. The Court held that the crime under Article 58(a) of the Forestry Law requires direct intent, meaning the defendant must have known with certainty he was invading a protected…
Res. 00204-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Condena civil no se sigue automáticamente de la penal: caso de invasión de zona de protección
The Cartago Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court partially overturned a conviction for the crime of invasion of a conservation or protected area. The defendant had been found criminally responsible and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with conditional execution. In the same ruling, the trial court imposed civil liability for environmental and social…
Res. 00586-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Anulación de absolución por duda en amenazas con arma en contexto de conflicto de tierras
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José annulled the acquittal issued by the Flagrancy Criminal Court of Limón, which had acquitted the defendant of aggravated threats applying the in dubio pro reo principle. The prosecution appealed, alleging erroneous evaluation of evidence. The appeals court found that the trial…
Res. 00619-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Deberes y facultades investigatorias de los inspectores de vida silvestre
The Criminal Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José overturns an acquittal for illegal hunting and orders a new trial, upholding the claims of the Attorney General's Office. The ruling addresses two central issues: the legitimacy of wildlife inspectors acting as repressive or investigative police, and the flawed evidentiary reasoning of…
Res. 00241-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Incumplimiento de conciliación no extingue acción penal sino reanuda proceso
The Cartago Criminal Appeals Court, by majority, holds that an accused’s breach of a conciliation agreement in a Forestry Law violation case does not warrant a definitive dismissal; instead, the proceedings must be restarted under Article 36 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The trial court had definitively dismissed the case on the grounds that the one-year…
Res. 00254-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Prescripción en delito de invasión de área de protección y restitución ambiental en sentencia absolutoria
The Cartago Criminal Appeals Court resolves multiple appeals against an acquittal for invasion of a protected area. The majority sua sponte declares the criminal action extinguished by the statute of limitations, holding that the start of proceedings halves the limitation period, even for permanent crimes, and that the period elapsed without valid…
Res. 00259-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Apelación sobre prisión preventiva dictada en sentencia penal
The Criminal Appeals Court of Cartago declares inadmissible two appeals filed by defense attorneys against the preventive detention of two convicted defendants, ordered during the reading of the operative part of a complex criminal sentence. That sentence addressed crimes including Forestry Law violations (invasion of protected areas, illegal logging and…
Res. 00625-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Prescripción en delito de cambio de uso de suelo — delito instantáneo con efectos permanentes
The Sentencing Appeals Court of San Ramón upholds the definitive dismissal due to expiration of the statute of limitations in a case of violation of the Forestry Law for land-use change. The Criminal Prosecutor argued the crime was permanent, so the statute of limitations would only begin once the unlawful activity ceased (removal of terraces and forest…
Res. 00779-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Trasiego de huevos de tortuga baula configura el delito del artículo 95 de la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José reviewed an appeal against a conviction for violating the Wildlife Conservation Law by transporting derivatives of an endangered species (leatherback turtle eggs). The defense argued that the mere transport of eggs does not satisfy the statutory verb "trasieguen"…
Res. 00403-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Fijación de pena por usurpación de aguas: doble penalidad y motivación insuficiente
The Criminal Appeals Court of Cartago reviews appeals against a conviction for water usurpation harming the environment. The defendant challenges Article 226 of the Penal Code as unconstitutional for imposing both prison and fine. The court rejects this, citing Constitutional Chamber precedent allowing dual penalties. The prosecution and the Attorney…
Res. 01097-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Cambio de uso de suelo es delito permanente, prescripción corre al cesar
The Criminal Appeals Chamber partially overturned the trial court's ruling that had declared three land-use change offenses time-barred and acquitted the defendants. It upheld the appeals by the Public Prosecutor and the Attorney General, holding that the trial court erred in calculating the statute of limitations from the moment trees were cut. Land-use…
Res. 01056-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Condiciones de reforestación como requisito para la suspensión condicional de la pena
The Court of Appeals for Criminal Sentences (II Circuit of San José) heard an appeal by the Public Prosecutor against judgment 70-2020. The defendant had been convicted of invading a protected area and usurping public domain property by constructing buildings within the protection zone of the Quebrada La Cangreja. The Prosecutor requested that, as a…
Res. 01270-2021 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2021 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Absolución por tala ilegal ante insuficiencia de prueba indiciaria
The Criminal Sentence Appeals Tribunal of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José, in resolution 01270-2021, upheld the acquittal of the defendant for the crimes of illegal logging and timber harvesting, in violation of the Forestry Law. The Public Prosecutor's Office and the Office of the Attorney General had appealed, arguing an erroneous assessment of…
Res. 01737-2020 Sala Tercera de la Corte2020 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Violación al derecho a recurrir el fallo por absolución directa en apelación penal
The Criminal Cassation Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice grants the cassation appeals filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Attorney General's Office against the judgment of the Criminal Sentence Appeals Court of Cartago. That court had acquitted the defendants —Wilberth Ovares Ramos and Wilberth Ovares Prendas, accused of tree girdling and…
Res. 00145-2020 Sala Tercera de la Corte2020 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Inadmisibilidad del recurso de casación en delitos de usurpación de aguas y bienes de dominio público
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court declares inadmissible the cassation appeal filed by the defense of a defendant convicted of usurpation of waters and public domain property, for building a gabion wall to divert water from the Buena Vista River without a concession. The cassation court finds that the complaints about lack of evidentiary analysis and…
Res. 00671-2020 Sala Tercera de la Corte2020 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
La Ley Forestal prevalece sobre la Ley de Construcciones en alineamientos fluviales en zonas protegidas
The Third Chamber upholds a cassation appeal by the Attorney General's Office and annuls an acquittal for violation of the Forestry Law. The issue was whether Article 25 of the Construction Law, which provides that official alignments are of indefinite validity, applies to fluvial alignments issued by INVU in river protection areas. The Chamber finds that…
Res. 01162-2020 Sala Tercera de la Corte2020 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Legitimación para querellar en delitos forestales
The Criminal Cassation Chamber declares inadmissible the cassation appeal filed by Ronald Murillo Marín's defense, who was convicted of usurpation, illegal logging, land-use change, and road-building in forest lands. The appellants argued that the private complainant lacked standing because environmental crimes protect diffuse interests and that the acts…
Res. 00627-2020 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2020 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Restitución ambiental no ordenable sin acción civil en sentencia absolutoria
The Court of Appeal of Criminal Sentences of Cartago, by majority, rejected the appeals filed by the Attorney General's Office and declared the Public Prosecutor's appeal inadmissible. The original acquittal had absolved the defendant of land-use change, invasion of a protection area, and opening of a trail in forest, and denied both the civil compensatory…
Res. 00083-2020 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2020 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Excepción del Art. 28 Ley Forestal — Corta y aprovechamiento en sistema agroforestal
The Sentencing Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José upheld the acquittal of two defendants charged with illegal logging and exploitation of timber. The prosecution alleged they cut six cedar and laurel trees without a permit from the State Forestry Administration and removed the timber from a third party’s property. The trial court…
Res. 00376-2020 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2020 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Legitimación del dueño de terreno forestal privado para querellarse por delitos ambientales
The Criminal Appeals Court of the Third Judicial Circuit of Alajuela upheld, by majority, a conviction for usurpation and violations of the Forestry Law. The majority held that the registered owner of a private forest property where the crimes occurred (logging, land-use change, trail construction) has standing as a directly offended victim to file a…
Res. 00618-2020 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2020 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Prescripción en usurpación de zona marítimo-terrestre y demolición de obras ilegales
The Criminal Appeals Court of San Ramón reviews a judgment that acquitted several defendants of encroachment on public domain (public maritime-terrestrial zone) in Tambor, Cóbano. The Attorney General’s Office appealed, arguing that the statute of limitations does not run while the structures remain and that the trial judge misinterpreted the exclusion of…
Res. 00881-2020 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2020 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Nulidad de absolutoria por invasión a zona protegida en Barra del Colorado
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal fully annulled the acquittal of the defendant for invading a protected area in the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge, as well as the preceding trial. The acquittal was based on the in dubio pro reo principle, considering there was no certainty the defendant personally built the illegal house or carried out all…
Res. 00938-2020 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2020 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Anulación de absolución por confusión entre error de tipo y error de prohibición en invasión a zona protegida
The Sentence Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José reviews a trial court acquittal for the crimes of invading a protected zone and usurpation. The Chamber identifies serious errors in the trial judgment's reasoning and substantive criminal law analysis, consisting of a repeated confusion between mistake of fact (mistaken belief about the…
Res. 00972-2020 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2020 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Invasión de área protegida no exime responsabilidad penal por posesión o título privado no reconocido
The Criminal Appeals Court upholds the conviction for invasion of a protected area against a woman who built a house inside Tortuguero National Park. The defense argued that the land was private due to possession since 1980, and that the State should have expropriated it before considering it part of the protected area. The court rejects this argument:…
Res. 01002-2020 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2020 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Anulación de sentencia absolutoria y orden de derribo por invasión de zona de protección
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of San José's Second Judicial Circuit annuls in its entirety Judgment No. 318-2019 from the Atlantic Zone Criminal Court, Pococí. The original judgment had acquitted the defendant of invading a protected zone but ordered the demolition of the construction and restoration of the land. The Chamber finds multiple defects:…
Res. 00686-2020 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2020 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Restitución del bosque procede aun con absolutoria penal
The San Ramón Criminal Appeals Court partially overturns an acquittal for land-use change, finding that the trial judge unreasonably denied the Attorney General's request to order restitution of the forest to its original state. The appellate court establishes that, in environmental criminal matters, restitution of things to their pre-offense condition is…
Res. 00589-2020 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2020 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Sentencia de apelación confirma condena por aprovechamiento forestal ilegal
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of Cartago upholds a one-month prison sentence for illegal forest harvesting and processing without permits, in violation of the Forestry Law. The defense argued that it was not proven the defendant cut and processed the trees, since he was found outside the property with the chainsaws, and that witnesses contradicted…
Res. 00675-2019 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2019 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Error de prohibición no exime en invasión de área protegida
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Tribunal of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José partially upheld the conviction of a farmer for illegal forest extraction and invasion of a conservation area (Wildlife Refuge Corredor Fronterizo Costa Rica-Nicaragua). The defendant argued he had acquired the land in good faith and acted under a mistake of law, believing…
Res. 00069-2019 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2019 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Condiciones de la condena condicional en delitos de invasión de área protegida
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal reviewed an appeal against a conviction for invasion of a protected area, harming natural resources. The defendant built a wall in a river protection zone and received a three-month prison sentence with a suspended execution. As conditions to avoid revocation, he was ordered to demolish the structures and remove debris within…
Res. 01453-2019 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2019 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Restauración de bosque dañado pese a absolución penal y límites al derecho de propiedad
The Criminal Appeals Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José upheld a ruling that acquitted the defendant of forestry law violations while partially granting a civil damages claim for environmental harm. The court ordered a ban on human activity in the affected area for up to fifteen years to allow natural forest regeneration, even though the…
Res. 00438-2019 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2019 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Validez de sobrevuelo e ingreso a plantación de marihuana en parque nacional sin presencia del juez o defensor
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal of Cartago upheld the convictions for forestry and drug trafficking offenses but partially overturned the ruling due to lack of reasoning on the concurrence of crimes and the acquittal for money laundering. The decision analyzes the validity of police entry into a marijuana plantation inside La Amistad National Park without…
Res. 00486-2019 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2019 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Anulación parcial de condena por cambio de uso de suelo por insuficiente valoración probatoria
The Criminal Sentence Appeals Tribunal of Cartago partially overturned a conviction for the offense of land-use change under Article 61(c) of the Forestry Law. The appeals court found that the trial court failed to properly weigh the contradictions between the testimony and documentary evidence. A MINAE official testified that he found the accused at the…
Res. 00190-2018 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2018 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Anulación parcial de pena por falta de fundamentación en delitos forestales
The Criminal Sentence Appeals Tribunal partially annuls criminal sentence 405-2017, which convicted a defendant for tree girdling, illegal forest harvesting, and forest land-use change, solely regarding the imposed penalty. The prosecution appealed the minimum sentence of one month per crime, arguing insufficient reasoning and failure to analyze the…
Res. 00113-2018 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2018 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Diferenciación de delitos forestales permanentes e instantáneos para la prescripción penal
This ruling by the Guanacaste Criminal Appeals Court addressed an appeal against a definitive dismissal due to the statute of limitations in a case for violations of the Forestry Law. The Attorney General's Office argued that the charged offenses (invasion of water protection areas, construction of roads in forests, and land-use change) are…
Res. 00263-2018 Sala Tercera de la Corte2018 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Invasión de área de protección subsume usurpación de dominio público
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice rejects the cassation appeal filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office and upholds the Appeals Court's decision to reclassify the facts as an apparent concurrence of norms. The accused invaded the protection area of the Limoncito River on state-owned land to build a house. The trial court convicted him of…
Res. 00281-2018 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2018 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Invasión a zona protegida y medida de seguridad desproporcional
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal of Cartago partially overturned a ruling that imposed a six-month compulsory psychiatric internment measure on an elderly adult for the crimes of invading a protected area and changing land use. The trial court had relied on a forensic psychological report declaring the defendant lacked the cognitive and volitional capacity to…
Res. 00283-2018 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2018 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Omisión de notificar al propietario registral quebranta el debido proceso en orden de demolición por infracción forestal
The Cartago Criminal Appeals Court partially annuls the trial court's judgment, which had acquitted the defendant of illegal logging and land-use change but ordered the demolition of a house built on the property. The appellate court held that the demolition order directly affected the property rights of the defendant's husband, the registered owner, who…
Res. 01646-2018 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2018 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Prescripción en delito de cambio de uso del suelo según Ley Forestal
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José upholds the acquittal of three defendants on forestry offenses —illegal logging, illegal harvesting of forest products, land-use change, and invasion of a protected zone— due to the statute of limitations. The ruling analyzes the legal nature of the land-use change offense under…
Res. 00414-2017 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2017 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Concurso material entre infracción a la Ley Forestal y desobediencia a la autoridad
The Cartago Criminal Appeals Court (Res. 00414-2017) addresses the legal characterization of the offenses of Forestry Law violation for invading a river protection area, disobedience to authority, and usurpation of public domain property. The majority corrects the trial court's ruling by excluding usurpation as it is absorbed by the forestry offense…
Res. 00053-2016 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2016 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Movilización ilícita de madera no requiere acreditar lugar exacto de origen
The Guanacaste Criminal Appeals Court reversed a definitive dismissal and ordered retrial for illegal wood transportation. The trial court had acquitted the defendant on grounds that the wood came from a private pasture rather than a forest or plantation. The Appeals Chamber held that Article 56 of the Forestry Law punishes transporting wood without proper…
Res. 00086-2016 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2016 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Anulación de absolución por tala de Guanacaste sin permiso forestal
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal of Guanacaste overturned an acquittal for two defendants charged with violating the Forestry Law by felling a Guanacaste tree on private property without authorization. The appeals court found that the trial court failed to properly evaluate the evidence and left key contradictions unresolved, including the gap between the…
Res. 00720-2016 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2016 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Anulación de absolución por falta de fundamentación en delitos forestales y usurpación
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of the Third Judicial Circuit of Alajuela, San Ramón, upheld the appeal filed by the private prosecutor and civil plaintiff against a first-instance acquittal for the offenses of ideological falsehood, use of false documents, usurpation, violation of the Forestry Law, and fraud. The trial court had acquitted all three…
Res. 01015-2016 Sala Segunda de la Corte2016 · Sala Segunda de la Corte
Despido de funcionario de SINAC por informe falso sobre humedal
The Second Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice upholds the justified dismissal of a National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) official who, in a feasibility report and plan approval, omitted to indicate the existence of a wetland and the partial location of the property within the Ballena National Marine Park. The Chamber finds the report contained…
Res. 00233-2015 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2015 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Invasión de zona de protección es delito de efectos permanentes
The San José Criminal Appeals Court rejects the appeal against a conviction for a violation of the Forestry Law. The accused built a ranch and other structures in the protection zone of a river without MINAE permits. The defense argued an erroneous interpretation of Article 58(a) of said law, contending that it only sanctions the invasion of conservation…
Res. 00075-2015 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2015 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Movilización ilícita de madera: procedencia no es requisito de la acusación fiscal
The Criminal Appeals Court of Guanacaste, by majority vote, overturns an acquittal in an abbreviated procedure for illegal timber transportation. The flagrante delicto court had acquitted the defendant, finding the prosecution's accusation imprecise for omitting the exact place of origin of the seized wood, and citing evidentiary insufficiency. The Appeals…
Res. 00324-2015 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2015 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Los delitos de cambio de uso del suelo e invasión de zona protectora son delitos permanentes a efectos de prescripción
The Criminal Appeals Court of Cartago overturned a dismissal based on statute of limitations and held that the crimes of land-use change (Article 61(c) of the Forestry Law) and invasion of a protected zone (Article 58(a)) are permanent offenses. Consequently, the statute of limitations begins to run only when the unlawful situation ends — that is, when the…
Res. 00921-2015 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2015 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Restitución del bosque tras tala ilegal y cambio de uso del suelo pese a absolutoria penal
This appellate ruling addresses the Public Prosecutor's challenge to an acquittal for illegal logging and land-use change on a property under the Forestry Regime. Although the accused was acquitted due to lack of evidence of his involvement, the Prosecutor argued that the trial court failed to order restitution of the forest to its original state. The…
Res. 01539-2015 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2015 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Prevaricato en el caso Crucitas: anulación de absolutorias y condena por deficiente fundamentación
The Criminal Appeals Court annulled the acquittals of the members of the SETENA Plenary Commission and of the former vice-minister and minister accused as accomplices, as well as the conviction of former Minister Roberto Dobles in the ‘Crucitas’ case. The trial court's judgment was deemed insufficiently reasoned on key aspects: it failed to analyze,…
Res. 00032-2014 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2014 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Restitución del bosque procede de oficio aun con absolución penal
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of Cartago partially annuls an acquittal from the Trial Court of Pérez Zeledón concerning illegal logging and land-use change in a protected area near a water source, where avocado trees were planted. The Appeals Court holds that, despite the defendants' acquittal based on reasonable doubt, the principle of forest…
Res. 00183-2014 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2014 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Confirma condena por cambio de uso de suelo tras tala de bosque primario
The Cartago Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court confirms a one-year prison sentence for land-use change (Forestry Law 7575, Art. 61(c)) after the defendant cleared approximately 20 hectares of primary forest and planted African palm in Cuatro Bocas, Corredores. The defense argued errors in weighing evidence: discrepancies in affected-area measurements,…
Res. 01043-2014 Sala Tercera de la Corte2014 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Movilización de madera de plantación requiere certificado de origen
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court resolves a cassation appeal filed by the Public Prosecutor against an acquittal for illegal timber transport. The appellate court had interpreted that Art. 28 of the Forestry Law exempts plantations from all permits, including transport permits, and that the seized teak pieces (average diameter 27 cm) did not qualify…
Res. 00339-2014 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2014 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Restitución del bosque procede de oficio pese a absolutoria penal
The Criminal Sentence Appeals Court of Cartago partially upheld an appeal by the Attorney General's Office and ordered the case remanded for the trial court to rule on restoring the damaged forest to its original state. The lower court had acquitted the defendant of building a trail in a forest, illegal logging, removal, and transportation of timber due to…
Res. 00469-2014 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2014 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Correcta calificación del delito de invasión en área de protección
The Cartago Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court overturned a dismissal due to statute of limitations for two defendants accused of illegally building in a stream protection area. The trial judge had classified the conduct as forest harvesting on private property (art. 61(a) of the Forestry Law) and declared the criminal action time-barred. However, the…
Res. 00513-2014 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2014 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Prescripción en delitos forestales de efectos permanentes
The Cartago Criminal Sentence Appeals Court overturns a definitive dismissal due to statute of limitations in favor of a defendant accused of forestry crimes. The trial court had found the criminal action time-barred after 1.5 years from the investigative statement, applying ordinary time limits. The Attorney General's Office appealed, arguing that the…
Res. 00279-2014 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste2014 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Guanacaste
Aprovechamiento ilegal de madera no requiere demostrar tala, solo aprovechamiento sin permiso
The Guanacaste Criminal Appeals Court upholds a conviction for illegal timber harvesting under Article 61(a) of Forestry Law 7575. The defense argued the indictment lacked detail and that the defendant, an employee, lacked intent because he was not required to verify permits. The court rejects both arguments: the trial court's ruling sufficiently described…
Res. 00737-2014 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2014 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Anulación de absolutoria por tala ilegal y valoración de prueba pericial
The Criminal Appeals Court of San Ramón overturns an acquittal for violations of the Forestry Law, finding defective reasoning and errors in evidence weighing. The lower court in Ciudad Quesada had acquitted the defendant – accused of illegally transporting yellow almond wood (a protected species) and illegal logging inside a National Wildlife Refuge – on…
Res. 00509-2014 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2014 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Anulación por defectuosa determinación del área de protección y falta de análisis del Art. 28 Ley Forestal
The Cartago Criminal Appeals Court overturns a conviction under the Forestry Law, finding serious flaws in the evidentiary reasoning. The trial court had convicted the defendant for exploiting forest resources in a protected area (Forestry Law, Art. 58(b)) by cutting nine gallinazo trees near a stream. The appellate court found that the judge failed to…
Res. 00385-2013 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2013 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Art. 61(a) Ley Forestal — Aprovechamiento forestal no exige bosque
The Sentence Appeals Court of the Third Judicial Circuit of Alajuela, San Ramón, overturns an acquittal that had classified as atypical the felling of 35 trees on private pastureland, erroneously holding that the offense under Art. 61(a) of the Forestry Law only penalized cutting in forested areas. The appeal argues that “forestry” is not synonymous with…
Res. 00344-2013 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2013 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Confirma condena por aprovechamiento forestal sin permiso en propiedad privada
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of the Third Judicial Circuit of Alajuela, in San Ramón, dismissed both grounds of appeal filed by the defendant's counsel and upheld the conviction issued by the Ciudad Quesada Trial Court. The defendant was found guilty of violating the Forestry Law under Article 61(a) in connection with Article 3(a) of Law No. 7575…
Res. 02264-2013 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2013 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Concepto de bosque como ecosistema integral y no medida registral
The Criminal Appeals Court overturned the acquittal of three defendants charged with illegal logging, land-use change, and other forestry offenses on a property in Playa Tamarindo. The trial court had acquitted due to doubt about whether the land was forest, but the Appeals Court held that this doubt lacked proper foundation. It found the lower court…
Res. 00085-2012 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2012 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Anulación de absolución por delitos de invasión de área de protección e incendio forestal
The Criminal Appeals Court of the Third Judicial Circuit of Alajuela, San Ramón, annuls the acquittal of the defendant for the crimes of invasion of a protected area and forest fire. The appellate court upholds the prosecutor's arguments, finding that the trial court erred in substantive law by ruling that the indictment lacked objective elements of the…
Res. 00569-2012 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2012 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Carga de la prueba en delitos forestales compete al acusador, no al imputado
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal upholds the acquittal of a defendant charged with illegal logging on private land under the Forestry Law. The prosecution appealed, arguing insufficient reasoning and violation of Article 27 of the Forestry Law, claiming the defendant had to prove he held a permit. The Tribunal rejects both grounds, affirming that in criminal…
Res. 00257-2012 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2012 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Aprovechamiento forestal no requiere tala directa — anulación por falta de fundamentación
The Criminal Appeals Court of Cartago annulled an acquittal by the Trial Court of Osa for lack of reasoning, in a case where W. was charged with harvesting forest products without a permit. The appeals court found that the trial judge misinterpreted Article 61 of the Forestry Law by requiring that the defendant had felled the trees to convict him, when the…
Res. 00438-2012 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón2012 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal III Circuito Judicial de Alajuela San Ramón
Cambio de uso del suelo es delito instantáneo, no permanente — prescripción procedente
The Criminal Appeals Chamber of the Third Judicial Circuit of Alajuela, San Ramón, dismissed the prosecutor's cassation appeal and upheld the acquittal of the defendant on three charges of violation of the Forestry Law (land-use change and illegal logging) due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. The court analyzes the doctrinal classification…
Res. 01275-2012 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2012 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Condena por usurpación de dominio público forestal — dolo acreditado pese a alegato de posesión decenal
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal confirms the conviction of an individual for the crime of usurpation of public domain property, committed against the State's Forest Heritage. The defendant clandestinely entered a property owned by MINAE and destined for forest conservation, carried out acts of possession such as introducing livestock, building corrals and a…
Res. 02418-2012 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José2012 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal II Circuito Judicial de San José
Nulidad por imputación genérica en caza ilegal en Parque Nacional Tortuguero
The Criminal Sentence Appeals Tribunal of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José, by majority vote, overturned a conviction issued in summary proceedings against an individual charged with violating the Wildlife Conservation Law. Although the court found the flagrante delicto arrest valid and considered that serious and consistent circumstantial evidence…
Res. 00488-2012 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2012 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Aprovechamiento forestal ilegal incluye la tala en área protegida
The Cartago Criminal Appeals Court overturns an acquittal for an offense against the Forestry Law. The trial judge had acquitted the defendant because she considered that the prosecution had only charged 'forest harvesting' while the proven conduct was 'felling,' which had not been charged. The Appeals Court corrects this restrictive interpretation: under…
Res. 00021-2011 Tribunal de Casación Penal de Cartago2011 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de Cartago
Lesividad en delitos forestales y la irrelevancia de prácticas anteriores
The Cartago Criminal Cassation Court upholds a conviction for invasion of protection areas, illegal logging, and land-use change. The defense argued that the clearing and sowing of pasture had been occurring on the farm for thirty years, so there was no harm to the legal interest or change in land use. The Court rejects this: crimes under the Forestry Law…
Res. 00404-2011 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2011 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Anulación de sentencia por defectos de fundamentación en delitos forestales
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José annuls the trial court's conviction for land-use change and the acquittals for intentional forest fire and invasion of a protected area, issued by the Criminal Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of the Atlantic Zone. The Public Prosecutor's appeal argued that the trial judge's reasoning was deficient: she…
Res. 01384-2011 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2011 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Dolo eventual del tractorista en tala ilegal sin verificar permisos
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José upholds a conviction for illegal harvesting of forest products on private property. The defendant, a tractor driver, cleared and piled trees in 1.32 hectares of secondary forest without a permit. The defense argued violation of the in dubio pro reo principle and lack of intent, claiming the accused merely followed…
Res. 01046-2010 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2010 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Demolición de construcciones en zona de protección sin demanda civil
The Criminal Cassation Court upholds the demolition order of a stable and certain construction rods located in the protected zone of Cerros de Escazú, on a property in San Antonio de Alajuelita, even though the defendant was acquitted on criminal charges due to doubt and no civil damages action was filed against both co-owners. The court holds that the…
Res. 00318-2010 Tribunal de Casación Penal de Cartago2010 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de Cartago
Invasión de área protegida y delimitación del Parque Nacional Corcovado
The Criminal Cassation Court of Cartago confirms a two-year-and-six-month prison sentence for invasion of a protected area in Corcovado National Park under Article 58(a) of the Forestry Law. The defendant was caught clearing, planting, and building a rustic dwelling inside the park. The defence argued confusion in river names in the executive decree…
Res. 01505-2010 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2010 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Producto forestal no requiere bosque para configurar delito de la Ley Forestal
The Criminal Cassation Court overturns an acquittal and redefines the scope of the offenses under the Forestry Law. The lower court had acquitted the defendants because the logged area did not meet the two-hectare threshold to be classified as a «forest» under Article 3 of Law 7575. The Cassation Court rejects that reasoning and abandons the precedent set…
Res. 00164-2009 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2009 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Aprovechamiento forestal en terreno del Patrimonio Natural del Estado requiere autorización de la AFE
The San José Criminal Cassation Court dismisses the appeal against a conviction for two forestry-law violations —harvesting forest resources on State Natural Heritage land and illegal logging—. The defendant argued contradictory evidentiary reasoning, violation of the in dubio pro reo principle, mistake of fact, and retroactive application of a more…
Res. 00253-2009 Tribunal de Casación Penal de Cartago2009 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de Cartago
Tala ilegal y cambio de uso del suelo — anulación por falta de fundamentación
The Cartago Criminal Cassation Court annulled the acquittal issued by the Corredores Trial Court in favor of the defendant, who was accused of illegal logging, land-use change, opening trails, and destruction of vegetation in protected areas. The cassation court found that the appealed judgment lacked adequate reasoning because the trial judge failed to…
Res. 01523-2009 Sala Tercera de la Corte2009 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Casación sobre falsedad en informe de regencia forestal y responsabilidad civil ambiental
The Third Chamber of the Costa Rican Supreme Court, in resolution 01523-2009, resolves multiple cassation appeals against a judgment convicting a forest regent for ideological falsehood and use of false documents, while acquitting another defendant due to statute of limitations. The Chamber examines whether documentary and testimonial evidence proves the…
Res. 01394-2009 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2009 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Casación sobre concurso de normas en pesca ilegal en zona protectora
The Criminal Cassation Court partially annuls a conviction for illegal fishing in the Tivives Protected Zone. The lower court had classified the facts as violations of both the Fishing and Aquaculture Law and the Wildlife Conservation Law, but failed to adequately justify whether there was an ideal, material, or apparent concurrence of norms, or to analyze…
Res. 00339-2009 Tribunal de Casación Penal de Cartago2009 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de Cartago
Absolución por error de prohibición indirecto en tala dentro de reserva indígena
The Criminal Cassation Court of Cartago overturns a conviction for illegal forest harvesting and land-use change against an indigenous woman who cleared about three hectares of forest to plant corn. The defendant relied on the indigenous development association's verbal authorization, which claimed that the Indigenous Law and ILO Convention 169 permitted…
Res. 00557-2007 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2007 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Prohibición de reforma en perjuicio en delitos forestales
The Criminal Cassation Court annuls a conviction for forestry crimes (illegal logging, illegal trail construction, illegal land use change, and destruction of protected-zone plants) due to serious procedural defects that violate constitutional guarantees. The court finds that the trial court imposed harsher criminal and civil penalties than those in a…
Res. 00964-2007 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2007 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Restitución del área de protección sin condena penal
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José examines whether, despite acquitting the defendant due to a mistake of law, it is proper to order the demolition of works built in a protected area of the Ángel River. The trial court acquitted the accused but ordered the illegal constructions to be demolished. The defense argued lack of reasoning and misapplication…
Res. 00804-2006 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2006 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Restitución por cambio de uso del suelo aun sin responsable penal
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José reviews an appeal against an acquittal from the Guanacaste Trial Court, which, while absolving the defendant of all criminal responsibility for illegal logging and land-use change, ordered the affected forest area to be restored to its prior state. The public defender argued the order lacked grounds, that no…
Res. 00392-2006 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección II2006 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección II
Ejecución de sentencia por daños ambientales derivados de tala ilegal de bosque
This ruling by the Second Section of the Contentious-Administrative Tribunal confirms the enforcement of a judgment ordering an individual to pay the State ¢16,243,155.75 for environmental damage caused by illegally logging one hectare of forest. The criminal court of Guanacaste had convicted the defendant in abstract for violating Article 61 of the…
Res. 00934-2006 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2006 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Absolución por delitos forestales al no acreditarse zona protegida
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José upholds the acquittal of the defendant for the crimes of illegal timber harvesting, land-use change, and invasion of a protected area. In the cassation appeal, the Attorney General's Office argued that the trial court had found proven the damage to a protected area located ten meters from a water body. However, the…
Res. 01151-2006 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2006 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Invasión a zona protegida es delito de efectos permanentes — prescripción no corre mientras persista la ocupación
The Criminal Cassation Court overturns a dismissal based on statute of limitations issued by the Trial Court of Pérez Zeledón in a case involving illegal logging and land-use change in a tropical rainforest 75 meters from a spring. The Attorney General's Office had charged three defendants with crimes under Articles 58 (invasion of a protected area) and 61…
Res. 00292-2005 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2005 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Revisión de condena por tala en zona de protección de quebrada
The Criminal Cassation Court denies the review of a conviction for violating the Forestry Law. The defendant was found guilty of ordering the felling and destruction of an intermittent stream's protection zone on his property, including building a dam, without any forestry permit. The defense argued the conduct became non-criminal under the new Forestry…
Res. 00529-2005 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2005 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Nulidad por infundamentación de la calificación jurídica y condena civil en delitos forestales
The Criminal Appeals Chamber of San José annulled an entire conviction for forestry crimes—illegal logging, land-use change, unauthorized trail building, and destruction of vegetation in a protected zone—after upholding two grounds of appeal. The Chamber found the lower court failed to provide reasoning for its legal classification: it did not explain why…
Res. 00614-2005 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2005 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Casación anula condena forestal por falta de subsunción típica
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José, by majority vote, granted a cassation appeal against a conviction for violating the Forestry Law. The trial court had convicted the defendant of two counts of illegal tree felling, imposing a total sentence of three years and six months in prison. The cassation court identified a fundamental defect: the appealed…
Res. 00902-2005 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2005 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Anulación por falta de fundamentación en condena por aprovechamiento ilegal de madera
The San José Criminal Appeals Chamber annuls a conviction for illegal timber harvesting under Article 61(a) of the Forestry Law. The trial court had sentenced the defendant to three months in prison, but a procedural appeal demonstrated a lack of evidentiary and intellectual reasoning. The appealed judgment merely transcribed witness statements and the…
Res. 00988-2005 Sala Tercera de la Corte2005 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Uso de informe forestal falso para obtener permiso de tala en zona boscosa
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice denies an appeal against a conviction for use of a false document, confirming that the defendant used a fraudulent forest report to obtain a logging permit from MINAE. The trial court had acquitted him of substantive forestry crimes (illegal logging, land-use change, encroachment on protected zones) but…
Res. 00150-2004 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2004 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Recurso por el fondo: Art. 61 inciso a) Ley Forestal exige que la corta sea en bosque o plantación
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José, by majority vote 00150-2004, grants the cassation appeal on the merits filed by the defense and acquits the defendant of the crime of illegal harvesting of forest products under Article 61(a) of the Forestry Law. The court reaffirms the restrictive interpretation of that criminal provision, established in prior…
Res. 00359-2004 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2004 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
La tala en terrenos no boscosos no constituye delito forestal
The Criminal Appeals Court of San José reviews the conviction of a defendant for forestry-law violation after he used wood from two Guanacaste trees that had been cut by an unknown person on a cattle farm. The court holds that Articles 61(a) and 58 of the Forestry Law punish only the logging or use of forest products from forests or forest plantations, not…
Res. 00493-2004 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2004 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Responsabilidad objetiva por contaminación de aguas
The Criminal Cassation Court upholds the civil judgment against Inversiones Sábalo S.A. for contamination of the Coto and Sábalo rivers caused by aerial spraying of toxic agrochemicals. Although the criminal defendant was acquitted due to doubt, objective civil liability is applied: the foundation is not fault or intent, but the occurrence of damage.…
Res. 00951-2004 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2004 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Anulación por falta de correlación entre acusación y sentencia en delitos forestales
The Criminal Cassation Court annulled a conviction for illegal logging and land-use change after finding essential defects. The trial court introduced uncharged facts —a second logging and burning incident— violating the principle of correlation and the right to defense. Furthermore, the judgment lacked reasoning on authorship, failing to link the…
Res. 01152-2004 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2004 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Principio de no reforma en perjuicio en restauración por cambio de uso del suelo
The Criminal Appeals Chamber reviewed a sentence requiring a convicted person for land-use change to uproot coffee and restore the forest. The original judgment offered two options: replant local species or allow natural regeneration. After a defense appeal, the remand judge removed the natural regeneration option and imposed specific native species…
Res. 00396-2003 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2003 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Obligatoriedad de restituir el bosque tras tala ilegal y cambio de uso
The Criminal Cassation Tribunal of San José partially overturned a trial sentence that had convicted a defendant for illegal logging and land-use change in a forest, but had refused to order the uprooting of the coffee plantation established on the deforested area. The lower court had allowed the continuation of coffee farming with organic fertilizers,…
Res. 00450-2003 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2003 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Omisión de ordenar restitución del bosque vulnera el principio de irreductibilidad
The Criminal Cassation Court partially annuls a conviction for Forestry Law violations (illegal logging, land-use change, invasion of a protection zone, and illegal trail construction) because the lower court failed to order restitution of the affected forest to its original state. The Attorney General's Office appealed, arguing insufficient reasoning. The…
Res. 00674-2003 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2003 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Improcedencia de nulidad por testimonio no advertido
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José rejected an appeal against a conviction for violating the Forestry Law. The defense argued that the defendant's statement was obtained without advising him of his right to remain silent, rendering it illegal evidence. The Court acknowledged that MINAE inspectors indeed failed to give the required warning once the…
Res. 00713-2003 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2003 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Alcances del verbo “invadir” en el delito de invasión a área de bosque
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José interprets the verb “invade” in Article 58(a) of the Forestry Law. The defense argued that unauthorized clearing near a spring and creek does not constitute invasion, since no possessory acts like building were proven. The court rejects this: using a dictionary of synonyms, it holds that “invade” includes “burst…
Res. 01227-2003 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2003 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Correlación entre acusación y sentencia en delitos forestales
The San José Criminal Cassation Court rejects an appeal against a conviction for Forestry Law violations — illegal logging, land-use change, and exploitation in a protected area — plus usurpation. The defense argued breach of the correlation principle between accusation and judgment, violation of the in dubio pro reo rule, and contradictory reasoning. The…
Res. 00845-2002 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2002 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Anulación de condena por procesamiento ilegal de madera por falta de fundamentación
The Criminal Cassation Court annuls the conviction for illegal wood processing due to essential flaws in the reasoning. The trial judge failed to specify the legal requirements the defendant should have met, and whether the acts actually constituted processing of forest products under the Forestry Law. The court also ignored the defendant's explanation…
Res. 00157-2002 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2002 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Responsabilidad penal de persona física por delitos forestales cometidos como representante de sociedad anónima
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José, in resolution No. 00157-2002, decides an appeal against a conviction for three violations of the Forestry Law (logging in protected areas, logging on private property without a permit, and land-use change). The lower court sentenced the defendant, president of a corporation that owned the property, to eight months…
Res. 00122-2001 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2001 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Consideración de antecedentes penales para fijar la pena en delito forestal
The Criminal Appeals Tribunal of San José, in a majority decision, reviewed a cassation appeal against a conviction for violating Forestry Law No. 7575. The defendant was found guilty of illegally felling oak trees in a primary forest without authorization and was sentenced to eight months in prison. The appellant raised procedural defects regarding lack…
Res. 00985-2001 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José2001 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Casación sobre aprovechamiento forestal sin autorización
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José upholds a one-month prison sentence for a merchant convicted of violating the Forestry Law by illegally harvesting timber without authorization. The defense argued insufficient evidentiary foundation and misclassification, claiming no economic benefit was proven and the wood was intended for a community hall. The…
Res. 00733-2000 Sala Tercera de la Corte2000 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Responsabilidad penal por contaminación de agua con agroquímicos en naciente
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Costa Rica rejects a cassation appeal against a conviction for the crime of corruption of food or medicinal substances (Article 261 of the Penal Code). The defendant was found guilty of applying a highly toxic nematicide (Contex or Biofox) to the roots of coffee plants planted along the bank of a spring that…
Res. 00318-1999 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José1999 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Aprovechamiento forestal sin permiso en predio privado
The Criminal Cassation Court resolves a sentence review regarding an illegal logging conviction. The defendant argued a violation of the legality principle because the facts did not fit Article 61(c) of the Forestry Law, claiming the land was not a forest nor under forest regime. The Court corrects a material error in the conviction: it actually applied…
Res. 00413-1999 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José1999 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Invasión de parque nacional y resistencia agravada confirmadas en casación
The Criminal Appeals Court of San José rejects the appeal filed by the defense of several defendants convicted of invading Guanacaste National Park (violation of the Forestry Law) and aggravated resistance against park rangers. The defendants were conducting agricultural activities inside the protected area with intent to appropriate land, even though the…
Res. 00228-1998 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José1998 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Responsabilidad penal por tala ilegal y error de prohibición
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José reviewed an appeal against a conviction by the Criminal Court of Turrialba, which found an agricultural worker guilty of illegal tree felling to the detriment of natural resources, sentencing him to two months in prison commuted to daily fines. The appeal argued contradictory reasoning, as the judge mitigated the…
Res. 00456-1998 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José1998 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Libertad probatoria en condena penal forestal
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José resolves an appeal against a conviction for illegal logging under the Forestry Law. The appellant argued that the testimony relied upon was insufficient and violated the principle of sufficient reason. The Court rejected the claim, holding that under the principle of freedom of evidence, a conviction may be based…
Res. 00704-1997 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José1997 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Aprovechamiento de productos forestales sin autorización y tala en áreas de protección bajo la Ley 7575
The Criminal Cassation Court resolves an appeal against a conviction for illegal logging. The appellant alleged errors in evidence assessment and improper application of Forestry Law No. 7174, repealed by Law No. 7575. The court rejects the procedural grounds, holding that authorship and guilt were based on valid circumstantial evidence, excluding…
Res. 00696-1997 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José1997 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Nulidad por falta de fundamentación en condena por infracción forestal
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José sua sponte reversed a trial court conviction for forestry law violations due to multiple reasoning defects. It held that the lower court failed to cite any criminal provisions supporting the offense classification and sentencing, neglecting to identify the objective and subjective elements of the crime. The…
Res. 00319-1996 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José1996 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Falta de fundamentación fáctica y violación del principio de inocencia en delito forestal
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José annuls a conviction for violating the Forestry Law due to serious flaws in the judgment's reasoning. The lower court had convicted the defendant for farming on forestry land without authorization. The appeals court finds the judgment lacked a precise and detailed determination of the proven facts: it did not…
Res. 00606-1996 Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José1996 · Tribunal de Casación Penal de San José
Tala de guácimo blanco sin permiso sí constituye delito forestal
The Criminal Cassation Court of San José upheld a conviction for illegal logging of white guácimo trees, rejecting the defense's arguments. The appellant claimed the defendants had merely cut shrubs on fallow land, not trees, and thus the conduct was atypical. The court found that the proven facts showed the sawing of 187 pieces of wood with a volume of…