San Francisco Superior Court Judge Andrew Y.S. Cheng died on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, after an illness. Cheng was first appointed to the bench in September 2009 and in his nearly 16 years as a Superior Court judge, he presided over many criminal, civil, complex litigation and probate cases. His most recent position was in a civil trial department in San Francisco's Civic Center Courthouse. (Mike Adaskaveg via Bay City News)

A San Francisco Superior Court judge has died after an illness, court officials announced this week.

Judge Andrew Y.S. Cheng, 58, died last Friday and had his wife and children by his side when he passed. A memorial service is planned on Aug. 23 at 12:30 p.m. at Old First Presbyterian Church at 1751 Sacramento St. in San Francisco, according to the court.

Cheng was first appointed to the bench in September 2009 and in his nearly 16 years as a Superior Court judge, he presided over many criminal, civil, complex litigation and probate cases. His most recent position was in a civil trial department in San Francisco’s Civic Center Courthouse.

“This is a sad day for our court as we mourn the loss of a cherished colleague who brought humility, kindness and judicial excellence every day he served San Franciscans,” Superior Court Presiding Judge Rochelle East said in a statement. “We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, children, family and friends.”

Before being appointed as a judge by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cheng served as an assistant U.S. attorney from 2003-2009. Before that, he was a deputy city attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office.

Dan McMenamin is the managing editor at Bay City News, directing daily news coverage of the 12-county greater Bay Area. He has worked for BCN since 2008 and has been managing editor since 2014 after previously serving as BCN’s San Francisco bureau reporter. A UC Davis graduate, he came to BCN after working for a newspaper and nonprofit in the Davis area. He handles staffing, including coaching of our interns, day-to-day coverage decisions and management of the newswire.