A former Uintah County corrections officer was sentenced last week in 8th District Court for a conviction tied to domestic violence. According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, James Smuin performed actions of abuse at the victim in the presence of children. The victim reported that an incident happened in late 2025 in which James used handcuffs and pinned the victim to the ground. When interviewed this spring, James admitted to restraining the victim and physical abuse, including asking a child to grab the handcuffs which he then used to restrain the victim’s arms behind their back. James stated that this was during a verbal argument and that the victim was not being physically aggressive and that he removed the handcuffs after the victim calmed down. 34-year-old James Michael Smuin was transported to the Duchesne County Jail because he was employed as a Uintah County Jail corrections officer. A charge of Kidnapping related to the handcuffs incident was amended to a charge of 2nd Degree Felony Unlawful Detention which he entered a plea of No Contest to. Other charges of Domestic Violence and Assault were Dismissed with Prejudice. He was sentenced to 6 months in jail which was suspended and ordered instead to serve 45 days. Smuin received credit for time previously served, leaving 31 remaining days that could be converted to home confinement followed by 18 months of probation.
