Across the country, millions of prosecutors rejoiced and began planning afternoon golf games because they knew their dockets would be much, much shorter. All has worked well in the criminal justice system. Most criminal defendants are represented by excellent lawyers. Court clerks have more time to drink coffee. Prosecutors' dockets are much shorter.
Judges have much more time to contemplate the law.
In theory, statutes, prevailing case law, and the rules of court apply to all litigants equally. In practice, this doesn't happen. The lawyer is held to the standards that the court knows the lawyer is aware of, while frequently the unrepresented litigant is not held to any standards at all. The Maryland Court of Appeals has stated on many occasions that the Maryland Rules and Procedures are not simply suggestions for facilitating the practice of law, but rather precise rubrics that are intended to be followed. All lawyers know that certain consequences flow from the failure to follow your state's rules and procedures.