(The Center Square) – A Lynchburg judge on Wednesday kept in place an injunction blocking Virginia’s background check law for private firearm sales after the state temporarily resumed the checks under a newly enacted law.

Judge Patrick Yeatts also denied a contempt motion filed by gun-rights groups against state officials during the hearing in Lynchburg Circuit Court.

Following the hearing, Virginia State Police posted a notice on its website stating that private-sale background checks were “no longer available/required” in compliance with the court order.

The notice stated the state police was “enjoined and prohibited” from administering or enforcing private-sale background checks under the injunction.

The dispute stems from an October ruling in which Yeatts found Virginia’s previous universal background check law unconstitutional as applied to adults ages 18-20 and struck down the law statewide.

Lawmakers later passed House Bill 1525, which restored background checks for private firearm sales and made it a Class 1 misdemeanor for adults under 21 to purchase a handgun or assault firearm. Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed the bill April 22 under an emergency clause listing the law as taking effect immediately.

Virginia State Police had resumed private-sale background checks after the agency said it had been advised by the attorney general’s office that HB1525 superseded the earlier Lynchburg court injunction.

“While preparing for the implementation of this legislation, VSP sought guidance from the Office of the Attorney General to reconcile HB1525 with an existing injunction issued by the Circuit Court for the City of Lynchburg,” said Robin Lawson, speaking for Virginia State Police, in a statement. “The Virginia State Police has been advised that the new law supersedes the prior court order. As a result, background checks for private firearm sales are once again available.”

Gun Owners of America and the Virginia Citizens Defense League say the injunction remained in effect unless the court formally dissolved it.

In court filings, the groups accused state officials of resuming background checks “in deliberate and willful violation” of the court’s final order.

Defense League President Philip Van Cleave said the ruling upheld “the constitutional separation of powers” and argued the executive and legislative branches could not override an existing court injunction.

In a statement to The Center Square following Wednesday’s hearing, Rae Pitt speaking for Democratic Attorney General Jones said, “The commonwealth will carefully review the order once it is entered and provide additional information as directed by the court in our continued defense of Virginia’s life-saving background check laws.”