Cochise County Attorney Lori Zucco has announced the immediate termination of Paul Correa, who served as Chief Civil Deputy County Attorney. The decision follows an investigation by the Sierra Vista Police Department into an off-duty incident that occurred on December 17, 2025, at a Target store in Sierra Vista.
Due to conflicts of interest within Cochise County, La Paz County Attorney Rachel Shackelford is overseeing the case. Elizabeth Ortiz, Executive Director of the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council (APAAC), arranged for conflict counsel.
Zucco stated that after learning about the allegations and meeting with Sierra Vista Police Department officials, she decided to end Correa’s employment without delay. She also met with victims, police command staff, and Sheriff Mark Dannels before making her decision.
“The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing, particularly for an officer of the court and public employee entrusted with the public’s confidence,” Zucco said. “As a career prosecutor for more than 20 years, I have zero tolerance for alleged conduct that so fundamentally violates the standards of this office. While Mr. Correa is entitled to due process in the criminal justice system, he can no longer serve in any capacity in my office.”
Zucco was elected by Cochise County voters in November 2024. She emphasized that Correa’s termination reflects both the seriousness of the allegations and her office’s commitment to maintaining high professional and ethical standards.
She clarified that this action is an employment matter separate from the ongoing criminal investigation being handled by La Paz County authorities. The Cochise County Attorney’s Office will not provide further comment on the pending case.
In related educational developments within Cochise County, recent data shows challenges in student performance: 70% of students in grades 3 through 8 did not pass the mathematics section of the AASA during the 2022-23 school year (https://www.azed.gov/). Additionally, 76% of high school students failed the mathematics section of the ACT during that same period (https://www.azed.gov/). For English assessments, 62.4% of students in grades 3 through 8 failed their AASA exam (https://www.azed.gov/), while 65% of high schoolers did not pass English on the ACT (https://www.azed.gov/). More recently, data from the 2023-24 school year show some improvement: 27% of high schoolers passed mathematics on the ACT (https://www.azed.gov/) and 28.5% of students in grades three through eight passed mathematics on AASA (https://www.azed.gov/).
