Art. 334.Neglect, Failure, Or Refusal of Sheriff, Deputy Sheriff, Or Employee to Perform Duty Subjects Him to Punishment For Contempt

A ministerial duty is one the law or the court commands without leaving room for personal judgment — serving papers as directed, executing a writ as ordered, and similar tasks covered elsewhere in this chapter. Article 334 backs those duties with a real enforcement tool: contempt of court.

The provision reaches the sheriff himself along with any deputy sheriff or other employee of the sheriff, matching the accountability structure Articles 331 and 332 set up for deputies, employees, and authorized constables and marshals. When a court entrusts one of these officers with a duty, it has a real way to compel compliance if that duty is neglected, refused, or left undone.