Factual error: Toward the end of the episode, they state that one of the sisters had a vaccine for visiting Africa, specifically Dengue Fever. To date, 2014, there is no vaccine for Dengue Fever. You can only spray for mosquitoes or use repellent against them. (00:39:00)
Factual error: As the firemen are putting out the fire, the water heater explodes, becoming a flying projectile. But you can see that the pilot light is still lit. The fire department would have immediately had all the gas to the home turned off, and the pilot would have gone out.
Factual error: Horatio and Detective Tripp refer to Redfish only being able to be caught in one place around Miami - "Mosquito Lagoon." First, Mosquito Lagoon is not in Miami, it is several hundred miles north, and secondly, there are plenty of places to catch Redfish around Miami. I used to live there. (00:12:30)
Factual error: When Horatio is responding to the prison transfer van flipping over, he calls officer down into his Nextel radio. After he finishes speaking, you hear the distinctive Nextel transmission beep from when you would begin a conversation /transmission. If he had been transmitting his call, it would not have beeped after he was done speaking, it would have beeped before. (00:28:00)
Factual error: During a interview, Tripp tells a suspect that he helped loosen the lug nuts on a police vehicle. However, when they flash to show the lug nuts being loosened, the actor is turning the lug wrench from left to right which would in fact tighten the lug nuts. (00:29:10)
Factual error: (Episode: Sun Block) At the beginning of the episode, all the pool patrons are watching an eclipse, the sky darkens and they watch as the moon passes in front of the sun. The process, from the moon first beginning to touch the sun's disc to total eclipse occurs in approximately one minute. It is impossible for an eclipse to happen that quickly; it would take at least an hour to complete the process shown.
Factual error: When the show begins, a man is run down by a Dodge Charger. The man's injured leg apparently cuts a bio-diesel line under the car. The Charger never was a diesel, and probably never will be. Further proof is at the show opening which showcases a very low-tone exhaust rumble which can only be a gasoline V8.
Factual error: In Natalia Boa Vista's backstory, she states she knew Horatio from her "work with the FBI." But not all FBI agents started as LEOs (law enforcement officers). In her whole time as a CSI, she wields a badge, makes arrests, and interrogates suspects just like a cop (the ONLY 3 characters we know for certain that were LEOs were Calleigh [the flashback episode with Horatio and Jesse], Eric [the flashback episode when Horatio tells Eric to "come see me when you finish the academy"], and Ryan Wolfe, who's fresh off beat patrol when he joins CSIs). In this episode she tells Calleigh she's late to her crime scene because she just picked up her new sidearm and "now I can back you up on crime scenes!" BUT, if she were already a cop she would have been issued a firearm upon graduation. Thus, Natalia (and Walter) were never cops. This show took severe liberties with reality. Real CSIs are no more than expert witnesses, NEVER given the responsibility of arresting or interrogating suspects.
Miami, We Have a Problem - S8-E15
Factual error: Ryan is stated to have a BS in organic chemistry, working on his Masters in Genetics when we first meet him. When Travers tells him the shuttle was leaking oxygen, Ryan corrects him and says "air", to which Travers has to correct him. ANY gen chem student learns that "air" is a mixture of oxygen, nitrogen, water, and a few other trace gases such as helium and methane. This is a pretty big blunder for someone who supposedly holds advanced degrees in Organic Chemistry and Genetics.
Factual error: After Horatio shoots out a window in the lab everyone starts waking up immediately, it would take much longer than one second for the gas to leave that size of a room and the people's systems.
Factual error: There is no way the gun in this episode would work, the bullet world be moving way to fast for the shooter to accurately control the bullet to the target.
Answer: Yes, sizes of jails differ.