Last Friday, three New York City police officers were acquitted for the killing of 23-year old Sean Bell, early in the morning on what was to be his wedding day, in November of 2005. Bell's 50-bullet murder sparked outrage in a city that is no stranger to police brutality; the list of police killings of unarmed black men over the years is long and familiar.

People like to treat police shootings as "tragic" isolated incidents, but the ugly truth is that police officers inflict violence on black communities on a regular basis. And they get away with it, time and time again. "When cops go on trial for overuse of deadly force, their victims are generally young blacks and Latinos," writes one commentator. "The attorneys that defend them are top gun defense attorneys and have had much experience defending police officers accused of misconduct. Police unions pay them and they spare no expense in their defense. The cops rarely serve any pre-trial jail time, and are released on ridiculously low bail."

Bell, meanwhile, was handcuffed while mortally injured. Is this really what we call "justice for all"?

More below and in AlterNet's Rights & Liberties section.

Thanks for reading,

Liliana Segura

Editor, Rights & Liberties Special Coverage

"Tales I Win, Heads You Lose": Inside the Twisted World of Gitmo's Military Commissions
By Ben Wizner, Daily Kos
An ACLU lawyer observes the military commission hearing in the case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, who is boycotting the proceedings. Read more »

As Election Nears, Supreme Court Upholds Repressive Voter ID Law
By Brennan Center for Justice, AlterNet
It is more important now than ever for lawmakers across the country to pass laws protecting the right to vote. Read more »

We Paid What for That Virtual Border Fence?
By Stephen Pizzo, News for Real
The government scraps an expensive prototype of its highly touted "virtual fence" -- a multimillion-dollar waste of taxpayer money. Read more »

Verdict in Bell Shooting Is No Big Surprise
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson, New American Media
Nailing cops for bad shootings has always been virtually impossible. The Bell case was no exception. Read more »

CIA Admits to Existence of 7,000 Documents on Secret Detention, Rendition, and Torture
AlterNet
The CIA has stonewalled Congressional oversight committees, claiming the documents are too sensitive to release. Read more »

America's Gulag Just Keeps Growing
By Ethan Nadelmann, AlterNet
The U.S. dwarfs the rest of the world when it comes to locking up its citizens, due in large part to madness of our incarceration policies. Read more »

"They All Knew He Was Crazy": The Strange Case of Gitmo Prisoner Abu Zubaydah
By Andy Worthington, AlterNet
Alleged al-Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah has been held as a "high-value detainee" for over six years. His importance has been wildly exaggerated. Read more »

McCain Gets 80% Discount; Free Inmate Labor for Fundraiser
By Kathy, Pam's House Blend
Sweet deal if you can get it. Read more »

Cops Acquitted in 50-Bullet Killing of Unarmed Black Man on His Wedding Day
By Liliana Segura, AlterNet
New York City police officers get away with murder. Again. Read more »

"We Can't have Acquittals"
By Digby, Hullabaloo
A former Defense Department tells us what we already know - terrorism cases were juked for political gain. Read more »

SCOTUS Strikes Again!
By Melissa McEwan, Shakesville
In the "most important voting rights case since Bush v Gore," the Supreme Court validated GOP voter fraud talking points. Read more »