In first court appearance, Cosby cuts a feeble figure

(Reuters) - The sight of 78-year-old Bill Cosby walking with a cane into a Pennsylvania courthouse as he held the hands of his lawyers on Wednesday was in stark contrast to the spry, wisecracking 1980s TV dad most Americans remember. The actor/comedian, who faces a charge of sexually assaulting a woman in 2004 and public accusations from more than 50 women of sexual assaults dating back decades, appeared frail and seemed to have trouble with his vision. His lawyers called Wednesday's charge "unjustified" and promised a vigorous defense. Cosby's appearance on Wednesday included a stumble as he walked into the courthouse in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, outside Philadelphia. While Cosby is not reported to have any serious medical conditions, paparazzi photos of him in November leaving his New York townhome with his wife, Camille, supporting him, and looking weak sparked a flurry of rumors on social media that he was dying. Reporters in the courtroom where Cosby, dressed in a hooded sweater, was arraigned on Wednesday said he appeared to have trouble seeing the paperwork and finding the place to sign. His lawyers helped him hold the pen. In a defamation lawsuit against one of his accusers earlier this month, Cosby said he has been legally and functionally blind for a year because of a degenerative eye condition that he has suffered for years, media reports said. In 2011, the National Enquirer reported he had keratoconus, which affects the cornea and distorts vision as well as contributing to a bug-eyed appearance. He is also reported to have glaucoma. Despite those ailments, when the judge on Wednesday wished Cosby good luck, he responded with a loud and hearty "Thank you." Aside from his filing in the defamation case, the entertainer has not publicly discussed his health. When asked by the National Enquirer about his eye condition in 2011, Cosby said: "Overall I’m feeling fine. My bones creak some, but for the most part I’m all right." "The best thing is I’m able to get up in the morning and put one foot in front of the other.” (Reporting and writing by Cynthia Osterman in Seattle; Editing by Peter Cooney)