B737-400 DSNDS FROM 10000 FT ON THE CIVET 1 ARR AT LAX; STARTS APCH PROC WITHOUT CLRNC FROM APCH CTL. PIC; PNF; WAS DISTR. THE FO HAD A BAD ATTITUDE; WAS A CAPT FROM A DEFUNCT ACR. FO DID NOT HAVE AN APCH PLATE FOR PROC. FO SET THE ALT ALERTER FOR HIS DSCNT WHICH; AS PF; WAS AGAINST ACR POLICY.

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CLRED TO 'DSND VIA THE CIVET 1 ARR' TO LAX. FO FLEW TO FLOOR (10000 FT) OF ARR AT ARNES INTXN. UPON PASSING ARNES; HE CONTINUED DSCNT TOWARD 9000 FT MSL PRIOR TO SUZZI INTXN ON ILS RWY 25L; WITHOUT BEING CLRED FOR APCH. SWITCH OVER TO APCH CTL WAS DELAYED DUE TO BUSY CTLRS. I; THE CAPT; WAS GIVING THE 'PRIOR TO DSCNT BELOW 10000 FT' PA TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS; AND SENDING LAST MIN ARR MESSAGE VIA ACARS TO LAX COMPANY OPS. I DIDN'T SEE FO SET 9000 FT ON ALT ALERTER AND START DSCNT OUT OF 10000 FT WITHOUT CLRNC UNTIL HE HAD PASSED 9800 FT. I ORDERED AN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO 10000 FT. OUR LOWEST DSCNT WAS TO 9750 FT MSL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN PA AND SENT ARR MESSAGE EARLIER IN WHAT CAN BE A HIGH WORKLOAD ARR PROC. IT WAS AT ACR'S REQUEST THAT I SEND ARR MESSAGE 10 MINS PRIOR TO GATE ARR AND ALERT FLT ATTENDANTS REGARDING DSCNT THROUGH 10000 FT MSL HAPPENS ALL ABOUT THE SAME TIME AND CAN TAKE 1 PLT OUT OF THE LOOP AT THE WRONG TIME. COMPLETING THESE ITEMS EARLIER DURING DSCNT WOULD BE SMARTER. 2) THE FO IS A RESERVE PLT WHO FLIES LITTLE. HE COMES TO THIS COMPANY AFTER THE BANKRUPTCY OF HIS ORIGINAL CARRIER WHERE HE WAS A CAPT; AND NOW SOMEWHAT RESENTS HIS FO STATUS. HIS BEST FLYING SEEMS TO BE VIA MIL STORIES RECOUNTING THE GOOD OLD DAYS. HE WAS FLYING THIS 1 LEG PIT-LAX BECAUSE ORIGINAL FO WAS OUT OF TIME (30 HRS IN 7 DAYS). HE PROPERLY BRIEFED ME ON THE 2 APCHS WE WOULD MOST LIKELY FLY INTO LAX; BUT FAILED TO INFORM ME HE DID NOT HAVE A COPY OF THE CIVET 1 ARR PROC. I FOUND THAT OUT AFTER WE HAD LANDED AND I ASKED HIM TO REVIEW ARR PLATE REF FLOOR ALT OF 10000 FT. AFTER REVIEW OF MY COPY; HE STILL DOESN'T APPRECIATE HIS ERROR; AND FEELS THAT I OVERREACTED. HE HAS BEEN FLYING JUST ABOUT AS MANY DECADES AS I HAVE.