At the End of the 19th Century, Justice Oliver Wendell

At the end of the 19th century, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes famously said: "Law is the government of the living by the dead." His saying reflects the currently relevant principle that:

A) criminal murder cases have to be solved even if the suspect is already dead.
B) past decisions are often discarded to make way for the new understanding.
C) applying laws is a living, breathing, constantly changing process.
D) legal rulings in cases decided a long time ago may still apply to current cases.