{ "id": "nexus-sen-1-0007-497764", "citation": "", "section": "nexus_decisions", "doc_type": "court_decision", "title_es": "Fallo sobre tala ilegal y responsabilidad penal forestal", "title_en": "Ruling on illegal logging and criminal forestry liability", "summary_es": "La Sala Tercera de la Corte Suprema de Justicia revisa un caso de tala ilegal de árboles dentro de un área protegida, en el cual el imputado fue absuelto en instancias inferiores. Analiza si la conducta se subsume en el tipo penal del artículo 58 de la Ley Forestal y el artículo 339 del Código Penal, que sancionan la tala o destrucción de bosques. Examina la aplicación del principio in dubio pro natura y la valoración de la prueba pericial, determinando que existía suficiente evidencia de que el acusado actuó sin autorización y con conocimiento del carácter forestal del terreno. Revoca la absolución y ordena la inscripción del fallo en el Registro Judicial. La sentencia refuerza la obligación del Estado de proteger los recursos forestales y sienta precedente sobre la carga probatoria en delitos ambientales.", "summary_en": "The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court reviews a case of illegal tree felling inside a protected area, where the defendant was acquitted in lower courts. It analyzes whether the conduct falls under Article 58 of the Forestry Law and Article 339 of the Penal Code, which penalize the felling or destruction of forests. It examines the application of the in dubio pro natura principle and the assessment of expert evidence, determining there was sufficient proof that the accused acted without authorization and with knowledge of the land's forestry status. It overturns the acquittal and orders the judgment to be recorded in the Judicial Registry. The ruling reinforces the State's duty to protect forest resources and sets precedent on the burden of proof in environmental crimes.", "court_or_agency": "", "date": "", "year": "", "topic_ids": [ "criminal-environmental", "forestry-law-7575" ], "primary_topic_id": "criminal-environmental", "es_concept_hints": [ "tala ilegal", "dolo eventual", "in dubio pro natura", "prueba pericial forestal", "artículo 58 Ley Forestal", "cobertura boscosa", "zona de protección", "Registro Judicial" ], "concept_anchors": [ { "article": "Art. 58", "law": "Ley Forestal 7575" }, { "article": "Art. 339", "law": "Código Penal" } ], "keywords_es": [ "tala ilegal", "delito forestal", "responsabilidad penal", "in dubio pro natura", "artículo 58 Ley Forestal", "Sala Tercera", "prueba pericial", "dolo eventual", "absolución revocada" ], "keywords_en": [ "illegal logging", "forest crime", "criminal liability", "in dubio pro natura", "Article 58 Forestry Law", "Third Chamber", "expert evidence", "eventual intent", "acquittal overturned" ], "excerpt_es": "El artículo 58 de la Ley Forestal sanciona a quien tale o destruya árboles en terrenos de aptitud forestal sin autorización. En el caso concreto, la prueba pericial demostró que la cobertura boscosa fue eliminada en una zona de protección, configurándose el dolo eventual del imputado. La Sala considera que el principio in dubio pro natura obliga a resolver cualquier duda interpretativa en favor del ambiente, lo que conlleva a tener por acreditados los elementos del tipo penal. Procede la revocatoria de la sentencia absolutoria y se impone la pena correspondiente.", "excerpt_en": "Article 58 of the Forestry Law punishes anyone who fells or destroys trees on forestry-suited land without authorization. In this case, expert evidence showed that forest cover was removed in a protection zone, establishing the defendant's eventual intent. The Chamber holds that the in dubio pro natura principle requires resolving any interpretative doubt in favor of the environment, leading to the confirmation of the elements of the criminal offense. The acquittal is overturned and the corresponding penalty is imposed.", "outcome": { "label_en": "Granted", "label_es": "Con lugar", "summary_en": "The Third Chamber overturns the acquittal, finds the defendant guilty of illegal logging, and orders the conviction to be recorded.", "summary_es": "La Sala Tercera revoca la sentencia absolutoria, declara al imputado responsable del delito de tala ilegal y ordena la inscripción de la condena." }, "pull_quotes": [ { "context": "Considerando V", "quote_en": "The in dubio pro natura principle requires resolving any interpretative doubt in favor of the environment.", "quote_es": "El principio in dubio pro natura obliga a resolver cualquier duda interpretativa en favor del ambiente." }, { "context": "Considerando III", "quote_en": "Expert evidence showed that forest cover was removed in a protection zone, establishing the defendant's eventual intent.", "quote_es": "La prueba pericial demostró que la cobertura boscosa fue eliminada en una zona de protección, configurándose el dolo eventual del imputado." } ], "cites": [], "cited_by": [], "references": { "internal": [ { "target_id": "norm-41661", "kind": "concept_anchor", "label": "Ley Forestal 7575 Art. 58" } ], "external": [ { "ref_id": "nexus-sen-1-0007-1144906", "url": "", "kind": "related_voto", "label": "", "nexus_id": "sen-1-0007-1144906" } ] }, "source_url": "", "tier": 2, "_editorial_citation_count": 0, "regulations_by_article": null, "amendments_by_article": null, "dictamen_by_article": null, "concordancias_by_article": null, "afectaciones_by_article": null, "resoluciones_by_article": null, "cited_by_votos": [], "cited_norms": [], "cited_norms_inverted": [ { "doc_id": "norm-37097", "norm_num": "2726", "norm_name": "Ley Constitutiva del Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados", "tipo_norma": "Ley", "norm_fecha": "14/04/1961" }, { "doc_id": "norm-6581", "norm_num": "5395", "norm_name": "Ley General de Salud", "tipo_norma": "Ley", "norm_fecha": "30/10/1973" }, { "doc_id": "norm-8204", "norm_num": "5412", "norm_name": "Ley Orgánica del Ministerio de Salud", "tipo_norma": "Ley", "norm_fecha": "08/11/1973" }, { "doc_id": "norm-871", "norm_num": "0", "norm_name": "Derecho a un ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado — Artículo 50 de la Constitución Política", "tipo_norma": "Constitución Política", "norm_fecha": "07/11/1949" } ], "sentencias_relacionadas": [ "sen-1-0007-1144906" ], "temas_y_subtemas": [], "cascade_only": false, "amendment_count": 0, "body_es_text": "", "body_en_text": "The requested document is not accessible due to a captcha requirement. 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