The perpetrators of the abuses towards the colonists were known as the "courthouse ring"

The local government's elected officials who took advantage of the colonists financially were the objects of their rage. The corrupt officials were known as the "courthouse ring" by the colonists because they would make use of the legal system to exploit and abuse the populace. The fact that the officials were appointed by higher authorities rather than chosen by the general population contributed to the problem in some ways. Farmers and other colonists who couldn't pay their bills or taxes were taken before the court, where judges, attorneys, and even sheriffs would overtax them or seize their assets while the case was ongoing, passing off their illegal actions as legal. The fact that the very people who were appointed to maintain justice had become the perpetrators of blatant injustices was the main cause of the Regulator rebellion.

The local sheriffs who collected taxes and were supported by the courts contributed to the abuse of the legal system. The sheriffs and the courts frequently exercised sole authority over their respective areas. These local officials were viewed as being "unjust and dishonest," according to historian William S. Powell because they had engaged in extortion, embezzlement, and other schemes to benefit themselves.