Someone who is convicted of (or pleads guilty to) manslaughter in the second degree cannot be given a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; as a class C felony the maximum sentence allowable by law for manslaughter two is 15 years in prison. If Cabot wants the defendant to spend 10-20 years in prison he would need to plead guilty to manslaughter in the first degree; as a class B felony it carries a maximum possible sentence of 25 years in prison.
A sentence of 12-1/2 to 25 years cannot be given for murder in the second degree. New York state law says the minimum sentence for murder two is life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years, no less; that figure is not negotiable by anyone, including the District Attorney or a judge.
The captain of the 29 wears a silver nameplate which is supposed to be gold.
The corrections officer that Fin and Olivia talk to in Rikers is wearing a white shirt. White shirts are reserved for senior officers that carry the rank of Lieutenant, or higher. The officer's badge indicates that he is a regular duty officer, which puts him one step in rank below a Sergeant.
A corrections officer would not refer to a fellow corrections officer as a "guard."
While on duty police officers that carry a semi-automatic pistol always carry it with a round in the chamber, yet when Olivia is checking her weapon at Riker's there is clearly no round in the chamber when she locks open the slide.