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Of course, if the former client finds out it was his ex-attorney who gave incriminating information about the ex-client to the police, the ex-client will sue the attorney for damages if he is convicted.

That is a might big if.

Here's mine:
If the attorney in question can't handle an anonymous telephone call without giving himself away, the money won't be his long anyway.

Right. But an anonymous telephone call is kind of sneaky and deceptive. It would be up to the defendant's NEXT attorney to try and track down how the police got all the evidence they are presenting--including the location of that body.

The jury and the next defense attorney would be asking themselves, "How did the police suddenly know to go right to the spot where the body was?" The defendant might tell his new attorney in confidence, "I told no one where the body was, except my first attorney." Then, uh-oh, the SECOND attorney now "knows" that the defendant is guilty! Now HE'S got to withdraw from representing the client and give back the unearned fees he received. Trouble is, this second attorney is farther along, and the judge might not let HIM withdraw. (Some ethics codes won't let the attorney withdraw after the case has been set for trial.)

Now that second attorney is stuck representing that guy he "knows" is guilty. I guess he could just ignore the judge's admonition that he must remain on the case, and just refuse to go to court for the defendant any more, b/c he "knows" the guy is guilty, and it would be immoral to defend him in court. Of course, then the defendant could probably file a lawsuit against this second attorney, and win monetary damages, but that's okay. Having the satisfaction of doing the right thing is worth more than any money.

The second attorney has the satisfaction of knowing he did the right thing, and that's worth more than any money. I mean, contractors, auto mechanics, utility companies, cable providers, postal employees, salesmen, politicians, telemarketers, credit card companies, storekeepers, insurance adjustors, stockbrokers, bankers and Enron all know this and live by it every day--why, oh why, can't those dirtbag attorneys get it?