N.Y. Jud. Law § 795

§ 795. Liability of sheriff for omission of duty. An action may be\nmaintained, in behalf of the people, against a sheriff, to whom a\nwarrant is directed and delivered, as prescribed in this article, to\nrecover damages for any omission of duty with respect to the same, in a\ncase where a judgment creditor might maintain an action against a\nsheriff, to whom an execution issued out of the supreme court is\ndirected and delivered. In such an action, the people are entitled to\nrecover the same damages, which a judgment creditor would be entitled to\nrecover, if the order imposing the fine was a judgment of the supreme\ncourt.\n