Ocean County’s first black Superior Court judge, who last year presided over the dramatic Lakewood barbershop murder trial, has been tapped to lead the county’s criminal division of Superior Court. Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels was named presiding judge of the criminal division, in an order signed by state Chief Justice Stuart Rabner. Daniels, 57, of Lakewood, replaces Superior Court Judge Barbara Ann Villano, whose retirement after 20 years on the bench becomes effective today. The departure of Villano, who served as presiding judge of the criminal division since June 25, 2006, created several empty positions: that of presiding criminal judge, the judge overseeing the county’s Drug Court program, and a vacancy on the bench in the criminal division. Read full APP article here.