1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Posey, Steven C.
McDonald's Office
1733 S. Breiel
Middletown, OH 45044
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
First Financial Bancorp (FFBC)
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
289-42-9794
4. Statement for Month/Year
12/2002
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
(X) Director ( ) 10% Owner
( ) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other (specify below)
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/ | +-----------+---+----------+ Year | Indirect| Owner- |
| | Year) | Year) | |Amount |A/D|Price | | (I) | ship |
+------------------------------+----------+----------+---------+-----------+---+----------+--------------+-----------+------------+
Common Stock 1594 D
Common Stock 1716 I Trust
Common Stock 5993 I IRA
Common Stock 05/01/2002 03/05/2003 J 4 -320 D $19.1200 0 I Children
Common Stock 48077 I Trust(TEAZAK
LTD)
FFBC (Directors Fee Stock Plan) 2102 D
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|at End |direct |Owner-|
|Security |Security|Year) |Year) | |(A) |(D) |cisable |tion Date |Title |Shares |Security |of Year|(I) |ship |
+----------+--------+-------+-------+---------+-----+-----+----------+----------+-------+--------+----------+-------+-------+------+
1997 (NQ) $13.148 04/22/2007 Common 6195 D
Stock Stock
Option
2000 (NQ) $20.671 04/22/2009 Common 8663 D
Stock Stock
Option
2002 (NQ) $18.84 04/23/2012 Common 8663 D
Stock Stock
Option
Explanation of Responses:
Correction of non-reported transaction in irrevocable trust account established
by grandfather and totally managed by Trust Department.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ Terri J. Ziepfel
DATE
03/06/2003