Judge in Elian Case Is Hospitalized

The federal judge in Miami who is handling the case of 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez was hospitalized and might have suffered a stroke, two of the judge’s colleagues said. One colleague of U.S. District Judge William M. Hoeveler who has been in touch with Hoeveler’s family said the situation was not as grave as it first appeared. Both colleagues spoke on condition of anonymity. The judge had been scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday on whether the court has jurisdiction in Elian’s case. The boy is the focus of a custody battle involving his relatives in Miami and his father in Cuba, who wants him returned.