ADA Novak offers to reduce Ricky's charge from murder one to murder two with a sentencing recommendation of 12.5-20 years. However as a class A-I felony murder in the second degree carries a mandatory life sentence with a minimum of 15 years spent in prison before becoming eligible for parole. The law does not allow for a sentence other than life with the possibility of parole after at least 15 years, even in a plea bargain.
During the arrest scene in the pool hall, Stabler "hand cuffs" Ricky but you can see as Stabler leads Ricky out of the pool hall Ricky is holding the cuffs in his hands and wasn't actually handcuffed.