"This means that when it comes to a driver’s chance of getting a mercy ticket, having the same first name as your officer is as important as being white."

"We found that the preference toward drivers with the same first name as the ticketing officer counteracts other biases. For instance, when a white officer pulls over an African-American or Hispanic driver with the same name, the negative racial bias disappears. The simple connection an officer experiences because of matching names overcomes any bias held against minority drivers."

"We suspect that “same name bias” can be found in many other areas — and that in the legal system, it’s the tip of the iceberg. It’s just one example of how law enforcement decisions can be highly subjective and how small, random and supposedly irrelevant factors determine how people end up treated, even when the stakes are high."