Covello, J.
This is an appeal from the judgment of the Appellate Court ordering a remand to the trial court for an evidentiary hearing to determine whether the defendant, Earl Badgett, should be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea. The issue presented is whether the defendant’s plea of guilty complied with the rules of practice and with state and federal constitutional standards concerning guilty pleas, so as to render the [8] remand unnecessary. We reverse the judgment of the Appellate Court and remand the case to that court with direction to reinstate the trial court’s judgment sentencing the defendant to a term of fifteen years imprisonment.
The Bridgeport police arrested the defendant for the unlawful sale of narcotics on June 2, 1989. At his arraignment before the trial court, Damiani, J., on July 18, 1989, the state charged him with the illegal sale of narcotics under General Statutes § 21a-278 (b).1 After waiving the reading of the information, the defendant pleaded not guilty. On October 23,1989, the defendant appeared before the court, Ronan, J., and changed his plea to guilty under the doctrine enunciated in North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 91 S. Ct. 160, 27 L. Ed. 2d 162 (1970).2
[9] At the plea hearing, before any canvass of the charge had occurred, the trial court told the defendant that he would receive a fifteen year sentence. During the trial court’s subsequent canvass of the guilty plea, the defendant acknowledged that he understood the Alford doctrine and that he entered his plea voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently, with an understanding of the charge and its possible penalties, and after consultation with his attorney who had explained the charges to him.
On November 13, 1989, the trial court, Ronan, J., accepted the defendant’s plea and rendered judgment sentencing him to fifteen years imprisonment. During the sentencing proceeding, the following colloquy occurred:
“The Court: . . . Does your client wish to say anything?
“Mr. McIntosh [Assistant Public Defender, Defense Counsel]: If I may simply have a moment to inquire— Mr. Badgett does request to make a statement.
“The Court: What would you like to say Mr. Badgett?
“Mr. Badgett: I don’t understand why I’m not drug-dependent when I am. I have sniffed a lot of cocaine in the last few years.
“The Court: You have already entered your plea. Your plea has been canvassed, Mr. Badgett. The time for that issue has passed. Your record speaks for itself. You haven’t learned your lesson. You have been arrested and convicted of the same type of activity. If this sentence doesn’t teach you a lesson and you come back in, this fifteen years is going to seem like a weekend. If you want to stay in that business, there’s a risk. If you get caught, there’s a price to be paid and that’s [10] the price you’re going to pay. It is the sentence of the Court that you be committed to the custody of the Commissioner of Corrections for fifteen years to serve.” At no time did the defendant move to withdraw his plea.
Following sentencing, the defendant appealed to the Appellate Court claiming that the plea canvass did not comply with Practice Book § 711, and that the post-plea sentencing proceeding did not comply with Practice Book § 720. Specifically, the defendant argued that his statement to the court regarding his drug dependency was a timely request to reconsider whether his plea was knowing or voluntary under Practice Book §§ 720 and 721, and whether the original plea canvass complied with Practice Book § 711. The Appellate Court agreed with the defendant and remanded the case to the trial court for an evidentiary hearing to determine whether the defendant should be allowed to withdraw his plea of guilty. After the remand order, the state requested and we granted certification to appeal pursuant to Practice Book § 4126 et seq. We reverse the judgment of the Appellate Court and remand the case to that court with direction that it reinstate the judgment of the trial court.
I
The defendant argues here, as he did before the Appellate Court, that the plea canvass did not comply with Practice Book § 711.3 Specifically, the defendant [11] asserts that the trial court failed to ensure that the defendant fully understood “[t]he nature of the charge to which the plea is offered.” The defendant maintains that the trial court’s failure to explain that General Statutes § 21a-278 (b) exempts drug-dependent persons is a violation of Practice Book § 711 (1). We disagree.
Practice Book § 711 “was promulgated to ensure that such guilty pleas are made voluntarily and with full knowledge of the waiver of constitutional rights.” State v. Suggs, 194 Conn. 223, 226, 478 A.2d 1008 (1984); Blue v. Robinson, 173 Conn. 360, 373-74, 377 A.2d 1108 (1977). We have held that “[a] defendant can voluntarily and understanding^ waive these rights without literal compliance with the prophylactic safeguards of Practice Book §§ 711 and 712.” State v. Badgett, 200 Conn. 412, 418, 512 A.2d 160, cert. denied, 479 U.S. 940, 107 S. Ct. 423, 93 L. Ed. 2d 373 (1986). Examination of the record discloses that the trial court canvassed the defendant concerning the voluntary and knowing nature of his plea pursuant to both Practice Book § 711 and the mandate of Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 243 n.5, 89 S. Ct. 1709, 23 L. Ed. 2d 274 (1969).4 “Under Boykin, in order for a plea to be knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently made, a trial court is required to advise a defendant that his plea operates as a waiver of three fundamental constitutional [12] rights—jury trial, confrontation and self-incrimination. ’ ’ State v. Badgett, supra. An examination of the relevant portions of the plea canvass5 reveals the following: The defendant specifically stated that he understood the [13] ramifications of his Alford plea, that he understood the nature of the crime after discussing it with his attorney, that he was satisfied with his attorney’s advice, that he understood he was waiving certain constitutional rights, that his plea was voluntary and that he did not have any further questions about the charge.
[14] Despite the defendant’s assertions that he understood the charge, he claims that the “off-the-record” explanations given by his attorney did not provide adequate notice of the nature of the crime. We do not agree.
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Covello, J.
This is an appeal from the judgment of the Appellate Court ordering a remand to the trial court for an evidentiary hearing to determine whether the defendant, Earl Badgett, should be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea. The issue presented is whether the defendant’s plea of guilty complied with the rules of practice and with state and federal constitutional standards concerning guilty pleas, so as to render the [8] remand unnecessary. We reverse the judgment of the Appellate Court and remand the case to that court with direction to reinstate the trial court’s judgment sentencing the defendant to a term of fifteen years imprisonment.
The Bridgeport police arrested the defendant for the unlawful sale of narcotics on June 2, 1989. At his arraignment before the trial court, Damiani, J., on July 18, 1989, the state charged him with the illegal sale of narcotics under General Statutes § 21a-278 (b).1 After waiving the reading of the information, the defendant pleaded not guilty. On October 23,1989, the defendant appeared before the court, Ronan, J., and changed his plea to guilty under the doctrine enunciated in North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 91 S. Ct. 160, 27 L. Ed. 2d 162 (1970).2
[9] At the plea hearing, before any canvass of the charge had occurred, the trial court told the defendant that he would receive a fifteen year sentence. During the trial court’s subsequent canvass of the guilty plea, the defendant acknowledged that he understood the Alford doctrine and that he entered his plea voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently, with an understanding of the charge and its possible penalties, and after consultation with his attorney who had explained the charges to him.
On November 13, 1989, the trial court, Ronan, J., accepted the defendant’s plea and rendered judgment sentencing him to fifteen years imprisonment. During the sentencing proceeding, the following colloquy occurred:
“The Court: . . . Does your client wish to say anything?
“Mr. McIntosh [Assistant Public Defender, Defense Counsel]: If I may simply have a moment to inquire— Mr. Badgett does request to make a statement.
“The Court: What would you like to say Mr. Badgett?
“Mr. Badgett: I don’t understand why I’m not drug-dependent when I am. I have sniffed a lot of cocaine in the last few years.
“The Court: You have already entered your plea. Your plea has been canvassed, Mr. Badgett. The time for that issue has passed. Your record speaks for itself. You haven’t learned your lesson. You have been arrested and convicted of the same type of activity. If this sentence doesn’t teach you a lesson and you come back in, this fifteen years is going to seem like a weekend. If you want to stay in that business, there’s a risk. If you get caught, there’s a price to be paid and that’s [10] the price you’re going to pay. It is the sentence of the Court that you be committed to the custody of the Commissioner of Corrections for fifteen years to serve.” At no time did the defendant move to withdraw his plea.
Following sentencing, the defendant appealed to the Appellate Court claiming that the plea canvass did not comply with Practice Book § 711, and that the post-plea sentencing proceeding did not comply with Practice Book § 720. Specifically, the defendant argued that his statement to the court regarding his drug dependency was a timely request to reconsider whether his plea was knowing or voluntary under Practice Book §§ 720 and 721, and whether the original plea canvass complied with Practice Book § 711. The Appellate Court agreed with the defendant and remanded the case to the trial court for an evidentiary hearing to determine whether the defendant should be allowed to withdraw his plea of guilty. After the remand order, the state requested and we granted certification to appeal pursuant to Practice Book § 4126 et seq. We reverse the judgment of the Appellate Court and remand the case to that court with direction that it reinstate the judgment of the trial court.
I
The defendant argues here, as he did before the Appellate Court, that the plea canvass did not comply with Practice Book § 711.3 Specifically, the defendant [11] asserts that the trial court failed to ensure that the defendant fully understood “[t]he nature of the charge to which the plea is offered.” The defendant maintains that the trial court’s failure to explain that General Statutes § 21a-278 (b) exempts drug-dependent persons is a violation of Practice Book § 711 (1). We disagree.
Practice Book § 711 “was promulgated to ensure that such guilty pleas are made voluntarily and with full knowledge of the waiver of constitutional rights.” State v. Suggs, 194 Conn. 223, 226, 478 A.2d 1008 (1984); Blue v. Robinson, 173 Conn. 360, 373-74, 377 A.2d 1108 (1977). We have held that “[a] defendant can voluntarily and understanding^ waive these rights without literal compliance with the prophylactic safeguards of Practice Book §§ 711 and 712.” State v. Badgett, 200 Conn. 412, 418, 512 A.2d 160, cert. denied, 479 U.S. 940, 107 S. Ct. 423, 93 L. Ed. 2d 373 (1986). Examination of the record discloses that the trial court canvassed the defendant concerning the voluntary and knowing nature of his plea pursuant to both Practice Book § 711 and the mandate of Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 243 n.5, 89 S. Ct. 1709, 23 L. Ed. 2d 274 (1969).4 “Under Boykin, in order for a plea to be knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently made, a trial court is required to advise a defendant that his plea operates as a waiver of three fundamental constitutional [12] rights—jury trial, confrontation and self-incrimination. ’ ’ State v. Badgett, supra. An examination of the relevant portions of the plea canvass5 reveals the following: The defendant specifically stated that he understood the [13] ramifications of his Alford plea, that he understood the nature of the crime after discussing it with his attorney, that he was satisfied with his attorney’s advice, that he understood he was waiving certain constitutional rights, that his plea was voluntary and that he did not have any further questions about the charge.
[14] Despite the defendant’s assertions that he understood the charge, he claims that the “off-the-record” explanations given by his attorney did not provide adequate notice of the nature of the crime. We do not agree.
The record discloses that the defendant chose to waive the reading of the information at his arraignment on July 18,1989. Further, we have never required that the trial court read the statute to the defendant in order for the canvass to comply with Practice Book § 711 if there are other reasons to believe that the defendant understands the statute. State v. Eason, 192 Conn. 37, 44, 470 A.2d 688 (1984). In this case, the defendant himself admitted that counsel had, in fact, explained the statute to him. The defendant’s reliance on Henderson v. Morgan, 426 U.S. 637, 645, 96 S. Ct. 2253, 49 L. Ed. 2d 108 (1976) (guilty plea involuntary when neither counsel nor the court informed defendant about essential element), is misplaced. This is not a case like Henderson in which neither defense counsel nor the trial court had explained the nature of the charge to the accused. See Oppel v. Lopes, 200 Conn. 553, 557, 512 A.2d 888 (1986). Here, the defendant stated that he understood the charge and that his trial counsel had explained it to him.
We have previously held that § 21a-278 (b) places no burden on the state to prove that the defendant is not a drug-dependent person and that nondependency is not an element of the crime. State v. Januszewski, 182 Conn. 142, 165-67, 438 A.2d 679 (1980), cert. denied, 453 U.S. 922, 101 S. Ct. 3159, 69 L. Ed. 2d 1005 (1981). We have concluded that the state may initially rely on [15] a presumption of nondependency. Id. Even if the trial court did not rely upon the defendant’s representation that he understood the crime with which he was charged, it did not have a duty to canvass the nature of the charge with respect to drug dependency at the plea hearing because it is not an element of the crime. “Whether the existence of some fact is an essential element of a crime depends upon whether the existence of that fact forms a part of the conduct prohibited by the statute; that is, whether the fact in question is part of the corpus delecti. ... We conclude that the defendant’s status as a person who is not drug-dependent is not an essential element of the offense charged. It is not a part of the prohibited conduct, i.e., the possession of a certain quantity of narcotic substance with intent to sell.” State v. Januszewski, supra, 165-66. We, therefore, conclude that the trial court complied with Practice Book § 711 at the plea hearing.
II
The defendant next argues that the postplea sentencing proceeding did not comply with Practice Book §§ 7206 and 721 (1) and (2)7 because his plea was entered without knowledge of the nature of the charge and as such was involuntary. We do not agree.
[16] Once a guilty plea has been accepted it cannot be withdrawn except by leave of the trial court. Practice Book § 720; see also State v. Collins, 207 Conn. 590, 597, 542 A.2d 1131 (1988). The proper procedure for challenging the knowing and voluntary nature of the plea is by a motion to withdraw the plea before the conclusion of the proceeding at which sentence is imposed. Practice Book § 720. Ordinarily, the failure to file such a motion will preclude review of alleged infirmities in the acceptance of the plea. While we have recognized exceptions to the general rule; State v. Childree, 189 Conn. 114, 115, 454 A.2d 1274 (1983); the present case does not fall within any such exception.8
[17] The defendant, who was at all times represented by counsel, had ample opportunity to move to withdraw his plea but failed to do so. Even if we did conclude that the defendant’s statement was the equivalent of a motion to withdraw his plea, we have earlier concluded that the trial court complied with the requirements of Practice Book § 711 and that the defendant entered his plea voluntarily with knowledge of the nature of the charge. Therefore, the grounds for a plea withdrawal, relied upon by the defendant as set forth in Practice Book § 721 (1) and (2), are without merit. See footnote 8, supra.
Ill
The defendant’s final argument is that his guilty plea was invalid because he did not have a sufficient understanding of the offense and the law in relation to the facts as constitutionally required by State v. Childree, supra, 121. It is appropriate, in assessing such a claim, for the trial court to presume that counsel adequately explained the charge to the defendant, given that there is some indication on the record that an explanation occurred. Oppel v. Lopes, supra, 556-59; State v. Childree, supra, 123-24. Since we have already concluded under the more stringent Practice Book standards that the defendant understood the nature of the charge to which the plea was offered, we need not repeat that discussion here.
The judgment of the Appellate Court is reversed and the case is remanded to that court with direction to reinstate the judgment of the trial court.
In this opinion the other justices concurred.