The trial of former Health Minister Joselyn Chacón has been postponed until October after a court ruled that her attorney had abandoned the defense and the former official missed two scheduled hearings because of a medical condition. The Tribunal of the First Judicial Circuit of San José rescheduled the trial for October 23, 2026. Chacón faces allegations of insult, slander and defamation stemming from a private criminal complaint filed by former lawmaker Francisco Nicolás.
Attorney José Miguel Villalobos, who now serves as a lawmaker for the governing Pueblo Soberano party, had represented Chacón during the case. He submitted his resignation, but the court determined that his departure amounted to abandonment of the defense.
Chacón told the court by email that she did not know Villalobos had withdrawn from the case and said he had not informed her that he would no longer represent her. Villalobos offered a different account. He said he had previously attempted to leave the case, but the court did not accept his resignation. According to the lawmaker, Chacón later asked him to submit the request again so she could find another attorney.
The court temporarily appointed a public defender to protect Chacón’s rights during yesterday’s proceedings. The former minister has since named a new private attorney to represent her when the trial resumes. Nicolás said he plans to send the court records to the Costa Rican Bar Association so the organization can determine whether Villalobos committed any ethical violation. No disciplinary finding has been made against the attorney.
The delay followed a separate dispute over Chacón’s absence from court. When she failed to appear Monday without official medical documentation, the tribunal declared her in rebellion and issued an order for her arrest. Chacón later submitted a medical leave certificate issued by an Ebáis clinic operated by the Costa Rican Social Security Fund, known as the CCSS. The document covered her absences on Monday and Tuesday.
After receiving the certificate, the tribunal canceled the arrest order and directed Chacón to undergo an evaluation by the Judicial Investigation Agency’s Department of Forensic Medicine. The examination is intended to determine whether her condition prevented her from attending and participating in the trial.
The August hearings became the latest in a series of failed attempts to begin the case. Court information indicates that Chacón has presented medical leave documentation on four occasions, while three other postponements involved professional scheduling conflicts raised by her private defense.
The case dates to February 2023, when Chacón was serving as health minister. She publicly accused Nicolás, then a lawmaker for the National Liberation Party, of seeking to have the Health Ministry purchase land belonging to a friend. The plot was connected to a CEN-CINAI childcare and nutrition center in Esparza.
Nicolás alleges that Chacón’s statements damaged his reputation. In addition to the criminal complaint, he is seeking ₡10 million in civil compensation. Chacón has rejected the accusations and defended the decisions and statements she made while leading the Health Ministry. The October hearing is expected to include testimony from Chacón and three witnesses.
