Clarence Thomas says his colleagues talk too much

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has some unsolicited advice for his eight fellow members of the nation's highest court: Be quiet.

Speaking at the University of Alabama Law School, Thomas told students that some of his colleagues spend too much time asking questions instead of listening to the arguments presented by the lawyers for both sides.

By the time justices enter the courtroom for oral arguments, they have already read the briefs from both sides and already know how their questions will be answered, Thomas reasoned.

"So why do you beat up on people if you already know?" Thomas reportedly said. "I don't know, because I don't beat up on 'em. I refuse to participate. I don't like it, so I don't do it," Thomas said, according to the Associated Press account.

Justice Thomas, who was bruised by his own bitter confirmation battle that included charges of sexual harassment, also told students that he would eliminate the entire confirmation process, calling it "unnecessary," "uninformed" and "dangerous," the AP reported.

Also in his remarks, Thomas indicated that he already had an opinion about most cases before they reach the court, according to the Crimson White campus newspaper. "These cases are not new," he said. "These are permutations of the same issue. We make things too complicated in our minds," he said, adding "99.99 percent of the time I know my decision before I step on the bench."

At the same time he admitted that he already knew his own opinions on the cases, Thomas criticized Congress for trying to pick justices who will hold a certain viewpoint. "The whole effort is to pick judges that will give you the outcome you want," he said, is "like if we had a confirmation hearing today to pick referees for tomorrow's [football] game."

The court's only African American member also dismissed the significance of racial or ethnic diversity on the nation's highest bench. Speaking to students in the south, Thomas said regional diversity is more important. "I'd like to see people from all over the country," he said.