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 NORRISTOWN, Pa. — As Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial opened Monday, there was a reminder of his former reputation as "America's Dad" — the actress who played his youngest daughter on TV. 
 
 Keshia Knight Pulliam, 38, who played Rudy Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," accompanied the comedian into the Montgomery County courthouse, where he stands accused of drugging and molesting a woman at his home in 2004. 
 
 Bill Cosby arrives for the first day of his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania on June 5, 2017. Brendan McDermid / Reuters 
 
 Neither Cosby nor Pulliam spoke as they entered. 
 
 Gloria Allred, the attorney who represents some of the dozens of women who have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct, called it an "historic day." 
 
 "It's the first time Mr. Cosby will have to face his accusers in criminal court," Allred said. 
 
 A handful of those women traveled to be at the green-domed courthouse in small-town Pennsylvania. 
 
 "I haven't seen him since 1969," said Victoria Valentino, 74, who says Cosby drugged and raped her in Los Angeles nearly five decades ago. 
 
 "I hope he makes eye contact because I'd love to look him in the eye and stare him down." 
 
 Related: 'No Fear': Andrea Constand Ready to Confront Cosby at Trial 
 
 Cosby, 79, is on trial for allegedly assaulting just one woman, Andrea Constand, who worked for his alma mater, Temple University. 
 
 She claims that after two years of friendship and mentorship, the star turned predator, giving her pills that incapacitated her and then molesting her while she lay "paralyzed." 
 
 Cosby has portrayed the encounter as consensual, saying he gave Constand two Benadryl pills to help her relax. He has pleaded not guilty to three counts of aggravated indecent assault, denied all other allegations and sued some of his accusers for defamation. 
 
 The "I Spy" actor, who says glaucoma has left him legally blind, does not intend to take the stand. Constand, who settled a lawsuit against Cosby in 2006, will testify. Other potential witnesses include: 
 
 Prior Alleged Victim No. 6: Also known by the pseudonym Kacey, she is the only one of the other accusers who can testify. A former assistant to Cosby's late agent, she alleges that in 1996, after Cosby insisted she take a pill, she woke up in bed with the half-naked entertainer. 
 
 An unnamed William Morris Agency employee who the defense contends can contradict Kacey's account of her interaction with Cosby. 
 
 A psychologist who will discuss the behavior of sex-abuse victims. Prosecutors may use her testimony to try to explain why Constand waited a year to report the alleged assault to police. 
 
 Pharmaceutical experts who will testify about the effects of Benadryl and Quaaludes, the latter of which Cosby has admitted he gave to women for sex in the 1970s. 
 
 Although the jury was chosen in the Pittsburgh area, the trial is taking place in Montgomery County in the Philadelphia suburb of Norristown. 
 
 Barricades ringed the columned courthouse on Sunday night in anticipation of big crowds, but as of 7 a.m., there were only a few spectators lined up to get in. 
 
 Bill Parker, 43, who owns a donut shop said the he thought the trial "would be an incredible event to witness." 
 
 "He has been an idol to us," Parker said. "To hear the accusations was quite a shocker." 
 
 Parker said he was "trying to remain neutral" on the question of whether Cosby attacked Constand. "But I'm already disappointed he confessed to extramarital affairs," he said. "It doesn't connect with the man we thought he was." 
 
 Other local residents said they had not paid much attention to the legal drama that had played out at the courthouse over the last year. 
 
 "I don't know what's happening," said one 15-year-old walking by the stately building. "Who is Bill Cosby?" ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. 
 
 NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial is in its fourth day, but his wife of more than 50 years has yet to make an appearance. 
 
 Instead, a parade of the comedian's showbiz friends have showed up to show support, though it hasn't been an A-list gallery. 
 
 Here's who made the trip to the Montgomery County Courthouse: 
 
 Day 1: Keshia Knight Pulliam, the actress who played Cosby's youngest daughter, Rudy Huxtable, on "The Cosby Show," escorted him into the courtroom for the start of the two-week trial. She said she was just being a good friend and did not take the charges lightly. 
 
 "This is where you hear the facts. This is where the truth happens," she said. "Right now, it's the jury's decision and it's the jury's job to decide guilt and innocence." 
 
 Day 2: A cluster of older men, some of whom played ball with him at Temple University in the 1960s, sat together on a spectator bench and chatted with Cosby at breaks. They declined interviews. 
 
 Day 3: Actress Sheila Frazier, best known for her star turn in the 1970s movie "Super Fly," arrived with her husband John Atchison, a celebrity hair stylist. Frazier co-starred with Cosby in the 1978 comedy, "California Suite." 
 
 "What am I here to do is support Mr. Cosby," Frazier said after court. Atchison added that they were "not here to say somebody is innocent or guilty." 
 
 Actor and comedian Bill Cosby leaves with Sheila Frazier, John Atchison and publicist Andrew Wyatt after the third day of Cosby's sexual assault trial. Brendan McDermid / Reuters 
 
 Also there was Mary Frances Berry, a legal historian and the former chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, who said Cosby deserved due process. "The man that I know, he's good," she said. 
 
 Berry said it was not a surprise that Cosby, who claims racism may have fueled the scandal, was not getting more public support from the black community — citing a 2004 speech in which he scolded young and poor African-Americans, critiquing their speech, clothing and parenting. 
 
 "People in the civil rights movement are still annoyed with Bill for some of the comments Bill made baout the responsibiity of the community as opposed to enforcement," Berry said. "I happen to disagree about that, too, but for me, it's beside the point." 
 
 Day 4: Comic actors Joe Torry and comedian Lewis Dix accompanied Cosby into court on Thursday. 
 
 Actor and comedian Bill Cosby arrives at court with Joe Torry, Lewis Dix and spokesman Andrew Wyatt. Brendan McDermid / Reuters 
 
 Cosby's spokesman has said the defense could also count on Phylicia Rashad, who played his wife on "The Cosby Show," to show up if needed. 
 
 Camille Cosby, 73, was also expected to be in the courtroom at some point. It was not clear if the defense decided she should not be there while two Cosby's accusers were on the stand, describing how he allegedly drugged and then molested them. 
 
 "I can think of no good strategic reason why Cosby's family would not be present in the courtroom throughout the trial," said Dennis McAndrews, a law instructor and former prosecutor who has been attending the trial. 
 
 "I also do not think that the jurors in this case will be swayed by the presence of individuals other than his family. In my experience, jurors are usually conscientious about setting aside outside influences such as celebrities who are present in the defendant's corner." 
 
 He said that I suspect that Cosby will be unable to present positive character or reputation evidence, since such evidence would open the door for the prosecution to present negative character or reputation evidence which now exists because of the other women who have accused him of misconduct." 
 
 Wes Oliver, director of the criminal justice program at Duquesne University, said it's "questionable" whether spousal support would make a difference to the jury. And he noted that some jurors probably wouldn't recognize the other members of the Cosby support brigade. 
 
 "These things seem to be more about the trial in the public than the trial in the courtroom," Oliver said. ||||| Bill Cosby, center, leaves hearings for jury selection in his sexual assault retrial with spokesperson Andrew Wyatt, second right, Thursday, April 5, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Bill Cosby, center, leaves hearings for jury selection in his sexual assault retrial with spokesperson Andrew Wyatt, second right, Thursday, April 5, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (Associated Press) 
 
 Bill Cosby, center, leaves hearings for jury selection in his sexual assault retrial with spokesperson Andrew Wyatt, second right, Thursday, April 5, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (Associated Press) Bill Cosby, center, leaves hearings for jury selection in his sexual assault retrial with spokesperson Andrew Wyatt, second right, Thursday, April 5, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown,... (Associated Press) 
 
 NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A topless protester with "Women's Lives Matter" written on her body in red ink charged at Bill Cosby as he walked into a suburban Philadelphia courthouse Monday for the start of his sexual assault retrial. 
 
 The woman jumped over a barricade and launched toward Cosby but was intercepted by sheriff's deputies. She was taken into custody and led away in handcuffs. 
 
 Cosby seemed startled by the commotion as protesters chanted at him, but was not touched and is uninjured. 
 
 The unidentified woman was among about a half dozen people chanting in support of Cosby's accuser. She had "Women's Lives Matter" written in red ink on her chest and stomach along with other phrases in black and red all over her body. 
 
 Opening arguments are scheduled to begin Monday morning and prosecutors have lined up a parade of accusers to make the case that the man revered as "America's Dad" lived a double life as one of Hollywood's biggest predators. 
 
 Cosby's retrial likely won't be anything like his first one. He's fighting back with a new, high-profile lawyer and an aggressive strategy: attacking Andrea Constand as a greedy liar and casting the other women testifying as bandwagon accusers looking for a share of the spotlight. 
 
 "You've seen previews and coming attractions, but things have changed," said professor Laurie Levenson of Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. 
 
 Cosby's first trial last spring ended in a cliffhanger, with jurors unable to reach a unanimous verdict after five days of tense deliberations on charges that the man who made millions of viewers laugh as wise and understanding Dr. Cliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" drugged and molested Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. 
 
 The 80-year-old comedian, who has said the sexual contact was consensual, faces three counts of aggravated indecent assault, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Monday in a suburban Philadelphia courtroom. 
 
 His retrial is taking place in a radically changed and potentially more hostile environment. The #MeToo movement caught fire four months after the first trial, raising awareness of sexual misconduct as it toppled Harvey Weinstein, Sen. Al Franken, Matt Lauer and other powerful men. 
 
 Nearly every potential juror questioned for the case this time knew about #MeToo. 
 
 Kristen Houser of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center said that could help prosecutors overcome the skepticism some jurors had last time about Constand's yearlong wait to report her allegations to the police. 
 
 "The #MeToo movement is amplifying what experts have been saying for decades: People are ashamed, they're confused, they can't believe somebody they trust would hurt them, and then they worry that others won't believe them," Houser said. 
 
 After limiting the focus of the first trial, Judge Steven O'Neill has been willing to let both sides push the retrial well beyond Constand's allegations. 
 
 This time, O'Neill is letting prosecutors have five additional accusers testify — including model Janice Dickinson — as they attempt to show Cosby made a habit of drugging and violating women. The judge allowed just one other accuser to take the stand last time. 
 
 "This one will be harder for the defense," Levenson said. This time, Constand "is not alone, and there is strength in numbers." 
 
 In another difference, the judge this time is letting Cosby's legal team call as a witness a former co-worker of Constand's at Temple University who said Constand spoke of setting up a "high-profile person" so she could sue and enjoy a big payday. Constand's lawyer has said the co-worker is lying. 
 
 The judge also decided the jury can hear the answer to one of the biggest questions hanging over the case: How much did Cosby pay Constand to settle her lawsuit against him more than a decade ago? The two sides agreed at the first trial not to mention the lawsuit. 
 
 Cosby lawyer Tom Mesereau, who won an acquittal in Michael Jackson's 2005 child molestation case, said the jury will learn "just how greedy" Constand was. 
 
 In a twist, the judge hinted that he might not allow jurors to hear Cosby's lurid deposition testimony about giving quaaludes to women before sex. He said he would rule on it during the trial. Cosby testified in 2005 and 2006 as part of Constand's lawsuit. 
 
 Cosby did not take the stand at the first trial and is unlikely to do so this time. 
 
 Opening statements could be delayed while O'Neill sorts out allegations raised late Friday that a juror was heard saying he thought Cosby was guilty. Cosby's lawyers want the man questioned and removed from the case. They also want other jurors questioned to see if they were influenced by the man's alleged comment. Before being picked, all jurors swear under oath that they would be fair and impartial. 
 
 The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand and Dickinson have done. 
 
 Over the past few years, about 60 women have come forward with allegations against Cosby dating to the 1960s. Netflix shelved his comedy special, NBC scrapped plans for a new sitcom, and reruns of "The Cosby Show" were pulled from the air. 
 
 Cosby has performed only once since ending a tour amid hecklers and protests in May 2015. He joked at a surprise Philadelphia jazz club appearance in January that he "used to be a comedian." 
 
 Even if Cosby is acquitted, he will never win back his reputation, crisis communications expert David La Torre said. 
 
 "In some cases, being tried in the court of public opinion is far more damaging than the court of law," La Torre said. "That's certainly the case here." 
 
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 Follow Mike Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak 
 
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 For more coverage visit apnews.com/tag/CosbyonTrial
– Bill Cosby's trial for allegedly assaulting Andrea Constand begins Monday, and at least one member of his former TV family will reportedly be watching from the sidelines, per NBC News. Keshia Knight Pulliam, 38, who played little Rudy Huxtable on The Cosby Show, is expected to be in the Norristown, Pa., courthouse to watch the proceedings against her 79-year-old former boss, with Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt telling People that Pulliam won't be there to "proclaim guilt or innocence," but simply "to finally hear the truth for herself." Wyatt says Cosby's wife on the show, Phylicia Rashad, will also appear in the courtroom at some point, though the New York Daily News says it has been told that a Rashad appearance Monday is "unlikely" because she's working. Reports of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played son Theo Huxtable, attending are similarly being bandied about. The New York Times offers an overview of what to expect during the trial—"perhaps America's highest profile celebrity trial since that of OJ Simpson"—including expected lines of evidence, the Cosby legal team's anticipated strategy, and some juror information. CNN says the trial has come down to a "he said-she said" scenario, with one other alleged victim expected to testify against Cosby in addition to Constand. "What Cosby is hoping for is that the jury forgets about the other 48 [alleged victims]," a Fordham criminal law professor notes. Meanwhile, Constand herself is reportedly ready to face intense grilling on the witness stand. "There's no trepidation, no fear," a close friend who's also one of Cosby's alleged victims tells NBC. "She used to play basketball and she prepared for those games like nobody else and that is what she has done here." (Vice calls the trial a "test for America.")