Look, folks — this is exactly the kind of stuff that makes my blood boil. You’ve got Gun Owners of America and the Virginia Citizens Defense League having to send out an open letter basically telling cops and prosecutors in Virginia: 'Hey, don’t you dare try to enforce that universal background check law — it’s still blocked by a court injunction, and if you ignore it, you’re opening yourself up to serious legal trouble.'
Here’s the deal. Virginia passed this universal background check scheme a few years back, andGun Owners of America — along with the Virginia Citizens Defense League and some individual plaintiffs — challenged it in court. And guess what? The court agreed. A Virginia circuit court ruled the law unconstitutional and issued a permanent injunction blocking its enforcement statewide. That was a big win for the Second Amendment community.
But now Attorney General Jay Jones is trying to resurrect this dead horse. He’s filed a motion to dissolve the injunction, and GOA and VCDL filed their opposition on June 2nd. They were in court on June 5th defending that injunction before Judge Frank Patrick Yeatts in Lynchburg.
Chris Stone, GOA’s Director of State Affairs, put it perfectly: 'That injunction is not a suggestion — it is a binding decision. Unless the issuing court or a higher court says otherwise, Virginia officials have no authority to enforce these checks. Any official who ignores that injunction and attempts to enforce this law anyway risks exposing themselves and their agency to serious legal liability.'
Erich Pratt, GOA’s Senior Vice President, added: 'The rule of law requires that court orders be obeyed — even by government officials.'
This is why we need organizations like GOA and VCDL watching our backs. They’re not just fighting these battles in court — they’re making sure local cops and prosecutors can’t just ignore court orders when it suits them. If this injunction gets dissolved, Virginia gun shops could be looking at having to run universal background checks on private transfers again, which is a massive burden on business and our customers.
The GOA and VCDL are urging all Virginia public officials to review the court orders before taking any action. If you’re a Virginia gun owner or dealer, this is a case worth watching closely.