ELYRIA — Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Mark Betleski won’t be reading any of murder suspect Neil Simpson’s correspondence any time soon.

The judge agreed with prosecutors and Simpson’s lawyers Monday to begin sealing the letters and motions that Simpson has been sending to him without reading them.

The decision came the same day another missive had arrived from Simpson, who has complained in the past that Betleski has disrespected him with bad penmanship. Simpson has also asked to be released for a month to have dinner with his family and to have his case dropped and for the county to pay him $170,000.

Simpson also has complained about his attorneys, particularly Kenneth Lieux, who has since withdrawn from the case.

Simpson’s lawyers contend that he is mentally retarded and should not be sentenced to death if convicted in the June 2007 shooting death of Granny D’s Pizza owner David Kowalczyk during a robbery.

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