New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal has named a Metuchen litigator and municipal court judge as the next acting director of the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Grewal appointed James Graziano of Graziano, Piasecki & Whitelaw in Middlesex, who will begin serving as acting director Nov. 26. Gov. Phil Murphy was expected to formally nominate Graziano to the position, subject to the advice and consent of the state Senate, according to a Nov. 9 announcement.

Graziano succeeds David Rible, who has served as the ABC director since July 2017. Rible is leaving the Department of Law and Public Safety, the release said, though it offered no details on Rible's next move.