State v. Collins, 2013 Ohio 5579

Victim Oliver Cardona cashed a paycheck, had about $700, missed his bus, and stopped at the Ice Box Tavern where bartender Theresa Fatica had previously banned defendant Travis Collins.
Collins re-entered the bar after being told to leave; later Cardona and Collins ended up together in a cab en route to a gas station.
At the gas station surveillance shows Cardona and Collins fall out of the cab and struggle; Cardona returned to the bar with a swollen temple, wet/soiled clothing, and reported a robbery.
Police located and arrested Collins shortly after Cardona identified him; Fatica and Detective Lally corroborated Cardona’s appearance and statements.
Collins testified he and Cardona fought over a rock of crack cocaine that Cardona swallowed and that Cardona voluntarily gave him $18; Collins admitted recent drug use and criminal history.
The trial court convicted Collins of robbery (R.C. 2911.02(A)(2)), acquitted him of aggravated robbery, felonious assault, weapons offenses, and merged the robbery counts; Collins appealed on manifest-weight grounds.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Whether the robbery conviction is against the manifest weight of the evidence	State: Cardona’s testimony, corroborated by Fatica and Det. Lally and surveillance video, shows Collins hit Cardona and took his money during a theft — supports conviction	Collins: Inconsistent witness accounts and Cardona’s intoxication undermine credibility; alternative account that the dispute was over drugs and $18 was given	Court: Affirmed — weight favors Cardona; corroboration and excited-utterance support credibility; not a manifest miscarriage of justice

State v. Thompkins, 78 Ohio St.3d 380, 678 N.E.2d 541 (Ohio 1997) (standard for reviewing manifest-weight claims)
State v. Taylor, 66 Ohio St.3d 295, 612 N.E.2d 316 (Ohio 1993) (explains reliability rationale for excited utterance exception)