Paul Luis Pelaez v. the State of Texas

In the
Court of Appeals
Sixth Appellate District of Texas at Texarkana

No. 06-24-00198-CR

PAUL LUIS PELAEZ, Appellant

V.

THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

On Appeal from the 462nd District Court
Denton County, Texas
Trial Court No. F22-3773-462

Before Stevens, C.J., van Cleef and Rambin, JJ.
Memorandum Opinion by Justice Rambin
MEMORANDUM OPINION

A Denton County jury found Appellant Paul Luis Pelaez guilty of three counts of

possession of child pornography and sentenced him to eight years’ incarceration.1,2 See TEX.

PENAL CODE ANN. § 43.26. Pelaez appeals his conviction, arguing that the State failed to prove

his possession was intentional and knowing, the trial court erred by admitting extraneous-offense

evidence, and the trial court erred in admitting a “Spanish recording of Appellant’s interrogation

without a contemporaneous translation by a certified licensed court interpreter.”

We addressed Pelaez’s arguments in detail in his companion cause number 06-24-00194-

CR. For the same reasons stated there, we find, here, that the State met its burden to prove

beyond a reasonable doubt that Pelaez intentionally or knowingly possessed child pornography,

and we hold that the trial court did not err in admitting the complained-of evidence. As a result,

we affirm the trial court’s judgment.

Jeff Rambin
Justice

Date Submitted: May 29, 2025
Date Decided: July 17, 2025

Do Not Publish

1
In companion cause number 06-24-00194-CR, Pelaez challenges his convictions of three counts of child
pornography. In companion cause number 06-24-00199-CR, Pelaez challenges his convictions of four counts of
child pornography. See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 43.26 (Supp.).
2
This appeal was transferred to this Court from the Second Court of Appeals pursuant to a Texas Supreme Court
docket equalization order. See TEX. GOV’T CODE ANN. § 73.001 (Supp.). Accordingly, we apply the precedent of
the Second Court of Appeals in deciding this case to the extent that it conflicts with our own. See TEX. R. APP. P.
41.3.
2