Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/10pdf/09-1233.pdf
Page Number: 21.0

Cite as:  563 U. S. ____ (2011) 

15 

Opinion of the Court 

Ibid.    Applying  these  standards,  the  three-judge  court
found  a  population  limit  appropriate,  necessary,  and 
authorized in this case. 

This  Court’s  review  of  the  three-judge  court’s  legal 
determinations  is  de  novo,  but  factual  findings  are  re-
viewed for clear error.  See Anderson v. Bessemer City, 470 
U. S. 564, 573–574 (1985).  Deference  to  trial  court  fact-
finding  reflects  an  understanding  that  “[t]he  trial  judge’s 
major  role  is  the  determination  of  fact,  and  with  experi-
ence  in  fulfilling  that  role  comes  expertise.”    Id.,  at  574. 
The  three-judge  court  oversaw  two  weeks  of  trial  and 
heard  at  considerable  length  from  California  prison  offi-
cials, as well as experts in the field of correctional admini-
stration.  The  judges  had  the  opportunity  to  ask  relevant
questions of those witnesses.  Two of the judges had over-
seen  the  ongoing  remedial  efforts  of  the  Receiver  and
Special  Master.  The  three-judge  court  was  well  situated 
to make the difficult factual judgments necessary to fash-
ion  a  remedy  for  this  complex  and  intractable  constitu-
tional  violation.  The  three-judge  court’s  findings  of  fact
may be reversed only if this Court is left with a “ ‘definite
and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.’ ” 
Id., at 573 (quoting United States v. United States Gypsum 
Co., 333 U. S. 364, 395 (1948)). 

A 
The  State  contends  that  it  was  error  to  convene  the 
three-judge court without affording it more time to comply 
with the prior orders in Coleman and Plata. 

1 

The  parties  dispute  this  Court’s  jurisdiction  to  review 
the  determinations  of  the  Coleman  and  Plata  District 
Courts  that  a  three-judge  court  should  be  convened. 
Plaintiffs claim the State was  required to raise this issue
first in the Court of Appeals by appealing the orders of the