1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Hall, James C.
8152 Ascot Glen Court
Liberty Township, OH 45044
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
First Financial Bancorp (FFBC)
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
293-66-6695
4. Statement for Month/Day/Year
12/02/2002
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
( ) Director ( ) 10% Owner
(X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other (specify below)
Executive Officer
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
(X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
TABLE I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
+------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+--------------------------+--------------+-----------+------------+
|1. Title of Security |2. Trans- |2A.Execu- |3. Trans-|4. Securities Acquired (A)|5. Amount of |6. Owner- |7. Nature |
| | action | action | action| or Disposed of (D) |Securities | ship | of In- |
| | Date | Date | Code | |Beneficially | Form: | direct |
| | | | | |Owned | Direct | Bene- |
| | (Month/ | (Month/ | | |Following | (D) or | ficial |
| | Day/ | Day/ +-----+---+-----------+---+----------+Reported | Indirect| Owner- |
| | Year) | Year) |Code |V |Amount |A/D|Price |Transaction(s)| (I) | ship |
+------------------------------+----------+----------+-----+---+-----------+---+----------+--------------+-----------+------------+
Common Stock 11/27/2002 M 400 A $8.1965 9025 D
Common Stock 2521.7806 I 401-K
Common Stock 21920 I Restricted
Stock Awards
TABLE II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
+----------+--------+-------+-------+---------+-----------+---------------------+----------------+----------+-------+-------+------+
|1. |2. |3. |3A. |4. |5. |6. |7. |8. |9. |10. |11. |
| | | | | | | | | |Number |Owner- | |
| | | | | | | | | |of |ship | |
| | | | | | | | | |Deriv- |Form of| |
| | | | | | | |Title and Amount| |ative |Deriv- | |
| | | | | | | |of Underlying | |Secur- |ative |Nature|
| |Conver- |Trans- |Execu- | |Number of | |Securities | |ities |Secur- |of |
| |sion or |action |tion | |Derivative |Date Exercisable +-------+--------+ |Benefi-|ity: |In- |
| |Exercise|Date |Date | |Securities |and Expiration Date | |Amount | |cially |Direct |direct|
| |Price of| | |Transac- |Acquired(A)|(Month/Day/Year) | |or | |Owned |(D) or |Bene- |
|Title of |Deriv- |(Month/|(Month/|tion Code|Disposed(D)+----------+----------+ |Number |Price of | |In- |ficial|
|Derivative|ative | Day/ | Day/ +------+--+-----+-----+Date Exer-|Expira- | |of |Derivative| |direct |Owner-|
|Security |Security|Year) |Year) |Code |V |(A) |(D) |cisable |tion Date |Title |Shares |Security | |(I) |ship |
+----------+--------+-------+-------+------+--+-----+-----+----------+----------+-------+--------+----------+-------+-------+------+
1996 (ISO) $11.3019 01/24/2006 Common 1537 D
Stock Stock
Option
1997 (ISO) $10.5508 01/28/2007 Common 4193 D
Stock Stock
Option
1998 (NQ) $19.087 01/27/2008 Common 5082 D
Stock Stock
Option
1999 (ISO) $22.565 01/25/2009 Common 4201 D
Stock Stock
Option
1999 (NQ) $22.565 01/25/2009 Common 4461 D
Stock Stock
Option
2000 (ISO) $17.56 01/24/2010 Common 5694 D
Stock Stock
Option
2000 (NQ) $17.56 01/24/2010 Common 14571 D
Stock Stock
Option
1994 (ISO) $10.5363 02/22/2004 Common 2879 D
Stock Stock
Option
2001 (ISO) $16.0124 01/22/2011 Common 6244 D
Stock Stock
Option
2001 (NQ) $16.0124 01/22/2011 Common 1631 D
Stock Stock
Option
1993 (ISO) $8.1965 11/27/2 M 400 05/12/1994 05/12/2003 Common 400 $8.1965 2670 D
Stock 002 Stock
Option
2002 (ISO) $17.2 01/17/2012 Common 5813 D
Stock Stock
Option
2002 (NQ) $17.2 01/17/2012 Common 4187 D
Stock Stock
Option
Explanation of Responses:
Includes shares in dividend reinvestment account
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ Terri J. Ziepfel
DATE
11/29/2002