Ferdinand Sebastian, a state court judge, is hearing a murder case. He realizes that one of the statutes considered for deciding the case is in conflict with the common law of the state. Which of the following is true of the given scenario?

a. Judge Sebastian should decide the case according to the common law rather than the statute
b. Judge Sebastian should decide the case according to the statute rather than the common law
c. Judge Sebastian should decide the case according to the common law rather than the statute only if the state court is situated in a common law state
d. Judge Sebastian should decide the case according to the statute rather than the common law only if the state court is not situated in a common law state