Postby drawscore » Fri Jun 26, 2015 4:53 pm
Decisions can be reversed, but it generally takes a long time. The most prominent reversal was Plessy v. Ferguson (1898). 56 years later, that decision was reversed by Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. (1954).
Other notable reversals, were the income tax, declared illegal by the Supreme Court, reversed by the 16th amendment, and the Dredd Scott decision, reversed by (I think) the 14th amendment.
Then there was a complete defiance of a court decision, back in the early 19th century, when a decision came down, and the president, who vehemently disagreed, said something to the effect of "They made the decision, now let them enforce it!"
And, of course, the Supreme Court has no enforcement powers. That function falls to the Department of Justice, a part of the executive branch.
Drawscore