@Rothmus It's not the duty of the State to protect it's citizens from crime.
It's the duty of the State to protect against invaders and punish criminals.
Protecting yourself from crime is a personal obligation.
@alexthechick They are building their arguments and then looking for cases that support them (all lawyers tend to do this, it's easier to remember the law than build it up).
This is fine, but only if you're checking that your argument is supported by the cases you cite.
@washghost1 General common-law rule is that the property owner is responsible for boughs that hang over his property, even if the tree is rooted in someone else's yard.
The cutter is responsible for damage to the tree caused by negligence.