BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Winona Ryder went on trial Monday on charges of shoplifting more than $5,500 in designer hats and other merchandise, with her lawyer depicting the actress as a victim of overzealous security guards.

The prosecution called it a simple case of theft.

"When you enter a department store with the intent of stealing, that is burglary," prosecutor Ann Rundle said in her opening statement. "When you cut tags off of merchandise, that is vandalism. And when you walk out the door with $5,560.40 worth of stolen property, that is grand theft, no matter who you are."

Rundle said Ryder had ``her own two-for-one bonus program. For every item Miss Ryder purchased, she had helped herself to ... five-something extras.''

The 30-year-old "Girl, Interrupted" star was arrested in December at a Saks Fifth Avenue store. She is accused of stealing hats, handbags, hair accessories and other merchandise.

She could get up to three years in prison if convicted of grand theft, burglary and vandalism.

Defense attorney Mark Geragos said that the department store had her credit card on file and that Ryder told a clerk to keep it open. He said that when Ryder was detained she said, "You've got my credit card; you can do what you want with it."

He also said Ryder was mistreated and threatened by the security guards who stopped her and accused her of stealing.

"This is a case about a woman who has been wronged and wronged terribly," Geragos said.

Geragos says that videotape taken by in-store cameras shows the actress shopping, not stealing.

``This is not a case that's anything more than some security guards who got out of control,'' he said.

Ryder, wearing a black dress with an embroidered Peter Pan-style collar, looked wide-eyed at the jurors as her lawyer spoke.

The jury includes at least some of Ryder's Hollywood peers. Juror include former Sony Pictures Entertainment chief Peter Guber, a Sony studios legal secretary and a man in TV program development.

The trial is expected to last five to seven days.

Court TV wire services contributed to this report.