§ 780. Sheriff liable for taking insufficient sureties. After the return of an execution, issued upon a judgment, rendered in an action upon the undertaking, an action, to recover the amount of the judgment, may be maintained against the sheriff, where it appears that, at the time when the undertaking was given, the sureties were insufficient, and the sheriff had reasonable grounds to doubt their sufficiency. Such an action may be maintained by the plaintiff, in whose favor the judgment was recovered. If the people were plaintiffs, the action must be prosecuted by the attorney-general or the district attorney; and any money collected therein must be disposed of, as prescribed in the last section.