We thinks the Central High Tree Haters (need to come up with a better name for them) got in all this trouble not because what they did was so bad (kinda was) but because IT WASN'T FUCKING FUNNY. If you're funny, you can get away with all kinds a stuff.
Somebody in that group should have nip that tree cutting prank idea in the bud. This is how it should have happened:
Level Headed Teen: We need to do some sorta prank. Something to mess with the Juniors.
Tree Hater: How about we cut a couple campus trees down? That would be freakin' funny.
Level Headed Teen: Whaa? Why is that funny?
Tree Hater: You knowww... cause like, they all like stand under them and stuff. And if we cut them down they wouldn't be able to stand under them. And they would all like show up like the next day and be all like "Oh man, weren't there trees here yesterday?" [laughs to himself] Holy crap that would be funny.
Level Headed Teen: We're not cutting trees down. And you're an idiot.
Dammit guys. All you would have needed to do is use Google to search for "top ten Senior pranks". Then you wouldn't be in all this legal stuff.